The Time Traveller's Memory
by supamisscoolio
Summary: A time traveller with a faulty memory is taken to Las Noches, where she gets on the badd side of a certain bluenette and spoon, and keeps getting in awkward situations with possibly the most awkward person of all- Ulquiorra.
1. Time Bending and other Extreme Sports

Chapter One:

Bending Time and Other Extreme Sports

**The girl sensed something on the horizon, far off in the distance. It was only a slight twinge, but it was enough to raise her attention. **

**It was a malicious reiatsu, much more powerful than her own. She listened a little longer, and noticed one thing: it was heading for her. **

**She knew better than to take her chances in the harsh world of Hueco Mundo. There was one law of the land: if it wasn't bigger than you, kill it.**

**That didn't bode well for her. And she sensed not just one, but two enormous powers traveling along. They were going fast. Very fast.**

**That's impossible. No hollow in all of Hueco Mundo could go that fast.**

**She shook her head. Well, all she had to do was step out of their way. That would be easy. **

**She pulled out her sword, Fuerda, and started chanting, counting up to six. Then, **_**sh'chi**_**: a great portal opened to the side of her, roaring like an empty hole. It showed more of the same barren landscape, but she knew it was a great distance away. Without a look behind her, she jumped through the portal.**

**When the girl walked out of her portal, she found that the two mysterious reiatsu had changed course- instead they were headed in her direction. What? She was certain that she had moved far enough away. Yet they had pursued her, and much faster than she had calculated. **

**That couldn't be. She had stepped through a portal. There was no smell to track, no footprints to find. It was like she had disappeared.**

**They shouldn't have been able to follow her. But they were. **

**Was it her reiatsu?**

**She did have a very distinctive one; it didn't blend in with the rest of Hueco Mundo, and she couldn't shield it very well; it was her weakness. That must have been the flaw. No amount of distance could keep **_**that**_** hidden forever. She summoned **_**sh'chi **_**and fled through space again.**

**The directional change could very well just have been a freak accident. A coincidence.**

**A second time, and she stepped out of the portal, only to find that not only had they changed course, they were moving faster. **

**They were gaining on her.**

**The girl shivered. Whoever these- things- were, they weren't taking no for an answer. No matter. She could flee again. She'd just go very far this time. She would go farther than they could run. **

"**Sh'chi!" The portal appeared, and it showed a spot almost a thousand miles away. She smiled. Let's see her pursuers try to get there!**

**They were. And to her terror, they were even closer this time.**

**Her heart started fluttering. She immediately summoned her portal again immediately and jumped through it without hesitation.**

**This wasn't going to be easy.**

**When she stepped through, she realized two things:**

**One. They were less than fifty miles away.**

**Two. She couldn't summon sh'chi again. The portal refused to open; she had already used it three times, and it sapped her energy dramatically. She stood there panting, crying out sh'chi over and over, to no avail.**

**So there was no other way out of this. She clenched her fists at her side and resolved to fight.**

**They had actually been chasing her for several hours. Plenty of time to escape, but all she had accomplished was exhausting herself. She shouldn't have underestimated her pursuer's speeds or resolve. That had been stupid of her.**

**She silently berated herself mentally. Stupid, stupid, stupid. She bit her lip and clenched her fists at her side. Crap, crap, crap. Hopefully they were stupid, at the very least. **

**A straw wind ruffled her hair, bringing with it a strange smell.**

**They were here. **

**Her pursuers both had zanpakutohs- a shinigami sword- at their hips and wore white robes and only remnants of masks on their faces. **

**Arrancars. The girl had heard rumors about them, hollows who had ripped their masks off to become some blend of shinigami and hollow. **

**One was a tall, lanky one, with a weird hood that made him look like a spoon. He had long black hair and a scythe on his back. That added to the spoon effect.**

**Ha. A spoon.**

**The other had a helmet-type mask on one side of his head with a horn adorning it; he wore a jacket on and long coattails, and a pair of baggy hakatama pants. He was pale, small in stature, and only a little taller than her. He had two cyan streaks running from his eyes down the upper half of his face, and ink black hair. It looked like he was crying.**

**She wondered if he fancied himself some kind of emo boy? Hmmm… interesting.**

**The wind mournfully whistled between her and the pair.**

**Green Eyes broke the silence.**

"**Hollow, we have come to request that you come with us." She blinked, surprised. She wasn't stupid; nobody asked people that if they intended to take no for an answer.**

**One thing was sure: she wasn't going without a fight.**

"**No!" She yelled. "Leave me alone."**

"**Awww, look, Ulquioos, she's gonna have to go the hard way. Hey honey, are you sure you want to do this?" Lanky crooned. His slimy, creepy voice chilled her spine.**

"**I'm **_**not**_** coming with you!" She declared.**

"**Very well. We'll just have to take you by force." Green Eyes said, and he reached for his sword.**

**Her challenge was a mistake. The girl knew she was probably no match for them alone; but there were two of them! Oh well. She hardened her resolve. When the going gets tough, the tough get going!**

**She pulled out her sword and summoned her powers. She couldn't reach sh'chi, knowing that reaching seven for the fourth time would entirely exhaust her. It would have left her defenseless, madness with such powerful opponents. **

**The way her sword, **_**Fuerda,**_** worked was with seven levels of powers: **

**One, **_**ichi,**_** earth. Then she could manipulate earth.**

**Two, **_**nii,**_** air. Now she could manipulate air.**

**Three, **_**san, **_**water. Next, she could manipulate water, and so on as she released.**

**Four, **_**shi,**_** fire.**

**Five, **_**go,**_** ice.**

**Six, **_**roku,**_** lightning.**

**And seven, **_**sh'chi,**_** was when she could bend time and space. Stage one was her weakest level, and seven her most powerful. But even at level six, she did not have very good offensive attacks. **

**Damn.**

"**Roku, shi, go!" She shot lightning and fire and ice furiously, but her attacks were blocked, dodged, or neutralized. She hit Green Eyes once, with a lightning strike, and Lanky twice with ice. That was it.**

**She spun around, and ducked to the side to dodge a cero aimed at her side. She plunged into the sand, rising like a waterfall around her.**

**She shot out lightning in quick succession, three times. They both dodged, the emo one not even blinking.**

**She panted as the sand swirled furiously around her. This was insane! There was no way they could have thwarted her that easily! She gritted her teeth.**

**Totally outmatched, a shower of ceros and attacks fell over her. As much as she dodged, her opponents were always two steps ahead of her. A stray cero hit her shoulder, and she dropped to the ground to dodge another one. She cried out as Lanky appeared in front of her with his scythe. She dived out of the way. Then- BANG- she was slammed in the lower back before she could even look behind her. She rolled down the hill of sand. She could taste blood in her mouth, and watched it drip off her chin. Sh'chi. That was her only way out!**

**She pulled Fuerda out. It was, crazy but she had to try!- "**_**Sh**_**-"**

**Fuerda was knocked out of her hands by a cero from Green Eyes. She looked at her smoking arm, then at Green Eyes. The shock was written over her face.**

**Still she refused to surrender! Not until she absolutely couldn't do anything. The girl turned around and raced away. **

**She got about a hundred meters before Lanky suddenly appeared in front of her, and caught her around her stomach as she was running.**

"**Where're you going, pet? We just got to meet you!" **

**The wind knocked out of her, the girl still tried to struggle, but it was in vain. She'd been beaten, and everyone there knew it.**

**Cocky bastards.**

**She bit Lanky, right on the arm.**

"**ACK! BITCH!" He shrieked. As he yelled, he dropped her. Taking her chance, she ran for it.**

**Only to come face to face with Green Eyes. **

**She looked in his eyes, and he looked in hers. Her knees started shaking and almost collapsed in on themselves. Her heart fluttered wildly, like a swallow trapped in a cage. She could tell he was even stronger than Lanky.**

"**You should stop this," was all he said.**

"**Are you going to give me a choice?" Her voice came out shrill, but wavered wildly. She raised her hands, fully prepared to try a cero of her own-**

**And then the world went black. She collapsed on the sands of Hueco Mundo. **

**When she came to a little while later, she felt the distinct motion of moving. The ups and downs soothed her frantic heart, and her wounds had stopped burning a little. The girl didn't want to wake up. She wanted to go back to the cool, soothing darkness of the world behind her eyelids- no, she should wake up. **

**And then she looked up into a pair of green eyes. **

**Shrieking, she started. She tried to punch him; hopefully he would drop her!**

**No such luck. Green Eyes only warned, "Don't try anything."**

**Her lips had formed to utter a sharp retort, but again, her heart starting beating frantically against her ribcage. Whenever she was around this guy, she felt like a bird trapped in a cage. And she had the feeling that she wouldn't be able to get out of it. **

**She looked to the ground. She discovered the source of her captors' speed, anyways- they were doing a kind of flash step like a shinigami. It was incredibly fast and smooth. She looked at the ground below her, and began to feel a little sick, and scared.**

**For a second she almost tried to cling to Green Eyes, but then decided against it, for obvious reasons. He was damn creepy! But there was no point in fighting, no need to create conflict. As much as she hated Green Eyes and was terrified of him, she felt that she could trust him- or at least more than Lanky. After all, she had bitten him. Lanky was probably still pissed about that.**

**So, she'd gotten herself captured, after all. She lamented the fact.**

**Damn.**

**She sighed. These weird- half shinigami, half hollow-type things- had miraculously tracked her down and caught her.**

**Of course she'd been no match. Between the green-eyed hollow and the tall, lanky (rather creepy) guy, she'd been cornered. Not even her **_**roku**_** had gotten her out of this one. She was incredibly weak at physical and offensive attacks anyways. Not even very good at defense, apparently; her abilities were enough to keep her alive out in the hollow wilds, but not enough to keep her safe.**

**Damn.**

**She had one good ability, maybe- but that one was more of a third party-type, and hadn't helped her anyways. Plus she'd been zapped by Green Eyes before she could release her ability. It wasn't her fault- it just took forever to get to **_**sh'chi**_** to make her escape. And the second one, tall and lanky, seemed even creepier that Green Eyes. **

**More importantly, why had they been following her? She looked at her two male escorts, wondering if that would give her any hint- they were Arrancar, and much more powerful that she; what would they want with her? Maybe… maybe, they had discovered her secret? It was the thing that made her stay hidden in the wilds, silently, by herself. She was the only one left of her kind; she had been born with a unique ability that separated her from everyone else:**

**She could bend time and space.**

**She was still being carried by Green Eyes, up and down. Geez, where were they taking her? Seriously. Wherever it was, it was very far away.**

**The girl took this time to study her 'escorts.' Personally, kidnappers fit better, but apparently Green Eyes insisted that they were just 'escorting' her to go see that Aizen guy. She'd heard about him. The hollows who had seen him said he was a madman with a strange power that could erase the line separating hollow from shinigami, and create a strange hybrid of both. **

**The idea terrified her. She knew there were things that shouldn't be messed with. Your power was one of them. That Aizen guy was screwing with the powers that be…**

**As if sensing she was looking at him, Green Eyes glanced below to her.**

**She looked to the ground immediately. Oh yes, the dirt was definitely what she had been looking at. Not the slightly psychotic 'escort' who just might rip her throat out. She bet he could, easily. He'd already completely derailed her attacks as easily as a horse swats a fly. **

**And for the other one… he was running behind her and Green Eyes. She had a feeling he was staring at her behind. He had an entirely creeper-esque aura around him, and she would bet **_**sh'chi**_** he was a pervert; she could just tell. Well, one thing was sure. Green Eyes had her sword, but if Lanky didn't stop looking at her butt like she all but knew he was, she was going to take Fuerda and shove it right up his-**

"**Wait." Green Eyes said. "We're here."**

**The girl looked up. Her breath caught.**

**A tremendous, ivory fortress of purest white dominated the landscape, controlling everything; it emanated power and terror. Tall spiraling towers, and a center complex with a curved ceiling decorated the castle's battlements. It was a stark glare against the black sky and pale sands of the hollow world. She could almost hear it roaring against the landscape.**

**Damn.**

**Green Eyes set her down on the ground. She staggered a little, unsteady on her still weak feet. Green Eyes caught her back, ever so lightly. Her heart throbbed again, surprised.**

"**Don't fall." He started walking.**

"**C'mon, let's go, honey," snickered Lanky. He was back to his annoying, insinuating, creepy self, she noted.**

"**I'll be fine. I'm not **_**that**_** weak," she muttered under her breath. She turned and followed Green Eyes and Lanky into the white fortress.**

"**-And we have a guest. Ulquiorra, Nnoitra, you may come out now," beckoned a rather kind-sounding voice from within. **

**They were standing outside a room, in one of the wings. She guessed it was some kind of meeting room, and she could hear voices from inside. She'd heard at least five different ones, and some snoring, she could almost be sure. Well, if someone was sleeping, surely it couldn't be so bad?**

**Before she could protest, Lanky pushed her out into the room. Almost tripping ungracefully, she stumbled into the room.**

**She looked up. There was a single bright light, and the rest of the room was in black shadow; it cast its occupants into hard edged shadow and giving them a dark cast. There was a long table in the middle of the room that everyone was seated around. She couldn't see very much. It was like being on stage under the stage lights; you couldn't see the audience well. She was wrong about six people: there were 12. 8 Arrancar, excluding Green Eyes and Lanky- rather, Uluiorra and Nnoitra- and three shinigami in white robes. The middle one had a kind-looking face, with slicked back brown hair. She guessed he was Aizen, as he was at the head of the table.**

"**Aizen-sama," Ulquiorra and Nnoitra greeted. **

"**I see you brought our guest. Thank you." He turned to me. "Hello," he said, smiling. Well, at least he was friendly.**

"**Um…-" She started-**

"**What the hell?" Yelled a loud voice from further down the table. **

**Almost everyone in the room sighed collectively at the rude person. She looked down and saw who it was- a rather tall man with blue hair and rogue, rather yank look. **

"**What's this about?" He continued to be rude. **

"**Grimmjow-" started the head shinigami-**

"**I don't know, you tell me!" Before she realized it, the words had come out of her throat. Damn.**

"**Huh? The thing **_**speaks?**_**" Blue Hair said loudly. She growled and her eyebrow twitched. Blue Hair had better shut up or he could join Lanky in the line of people about to get Fuerda shoved up their-**

"**How rude!" Aizen said. "Apologize, Grimmjow. I told you she was our guest!" **

"**What? Did you miss her sass-"**

"**APOLOGIZE." A stifling aura descended on Blue Hair. He grunted as it hit him, full force. **

**She realized what he was doing. The Aizen guy was concentrating his reiatsu on Blue Hair. It was such a force- she wasn't even part of it, and she could feel it from where she was. It made the hairs on her skin rise, and her heart fluttered a little.**

"**I… I'm sorry," Blue Hair struggled. **

"**Good."**

**Aizen stopped, and Blue Hair straightened up again.**

"**Now, as we were saying before Grimmjow interrupted us…" He turned back to her again. "What's your name?"**

**Normally she would have put up a fight, but again, she probably shouldn't mess with him- or rather, any of these people, for that matter.**

"**Seren." **

"**How pretty." Again, that gentlemanly smile. Somehow it chilled her to the bone despite its seeming harmlessness. Something- everything- about him told Seren she shouldn't trust him. "I'm glad you came. Oh dear, it appears you had a bit of a scuffle on the way here," he said, observing her ragged appearance. **

"**Yeah." Understatement of the century.**

"**Hmmm… Ah yes, why you are here. I would like to observe your power." He stated it simply, even though it was a rude if not awkward request.**

"**What?" She blurted. She blinked rapidly, half regretting her words and she got nervous again. "You mean… you know?"**

"**Of course. Why do you think Ulquiorra and Nnoitra," he gestured towards them, "spent so much time and energy pursuing you?"**

"**Dunno. Grudge?" **

**Aizen smiled. "Very funny. Why don't you tell us all what you can do?"**

"**She looks really weak to me," blurted Blue Hair at the end of the table.**

**God, Seren really wanted to hurt him right now. "I'm weak with physical attacks, yes," she explained. **

"**And-?"**

**Seren felt that she would sound arrogant for sure. What was she supposed to do, blurt her meager power to the powerful entities here, who could crush her as easily as a fly? She wound sound arrogant AND an idiot. She didn't want that.**

"**I.. can manipulate time and space to some degree…"**

**It sounded flat. Oh well, at least nobody was laughing- oh, whoops. She took that back. **

**It was Blue Hair, of course.**

**Her eyebrow twitched. She should take him back in time to the Stone Age and leave him there. He'd fit right in.**

"**Could you demonstrate?" Aizen asked. **

"**Huh? For the whole room?"**

"**Is it too much?"**

**Thinking of Blue Hair, Seren pronounced, "Definitely not." She looked around. "But I'll need my sword." She grabbed Fuerda from Lanky.**

"**Now I have to warn you," Aizen said, "don't try anything funny." He smiled cruelly, twistedly. Seren decided not to.**

"**All right." She grasped Fuerda and held it by the hilt, and left the tip of the long, thin sword hovering above the ground. She muttered something, and summoned a circle. She extended it to surround everyone in the room. Then she started counting.**

"**Ichi," **_**One.**_** The earth below the floor shook once.**

"**Nii." **_**Two.**_** The wind outside whistled twice.**

"**San." **_**Three.**_** The water in Aizen's tea splashed three times.**

"**Shi." **_**Four.**_

"**Go." **_**Five.**_

"**Roku." Seren almost stopped; trying to get up to **_**sh'chi **_**five times in one day was starting to hurt-**

"**Sh'chi." She struck her sword into the ground. Everything seemed to shudder. Time slowed to a breathtaking stop; the clocks stopped. The floor started to ripple, and the air itself seemed to undulate and wave. There was a strange atmosphere, like having one's ears clogged by cotton balls; light and free, yet also somehow stuffed and full. Seren panted, and held onto Fuerda for support. The colors in the room dulled to black and white, like an old photo. **

**She had stopped time.**

"**Amazing!" Aizen exclaimed, clearly pleased.**

"**What the hell?" Shouted Blue Hair. **

"**Well, well, pretty can actually do something interesting!" Jeered Lanky.**

**Green Eyes simply stood, hands in his pockets and observed.**

"**Where…. Do you wish… to go?" Seren asked. Her breathing was labored; **_**sh'chi **_**took a lot once or twice. This was her limit.**

"**Hmm… sometime in the past, right?"**

"**Hang on… no!" Seren suddenly gasped and sank to her knees. "Shit! We're in limbo!" She pulled Fuerda out of the floor.**

"**Sh'chi, roku, go, shi, san, nii, ichi!" She counted rapidly. Like snapping out of hypnosis, the spell broke. The floor stopped rippling. The color came back. The stuffy, empty feeling left. The clocks started running again. The air flowed back into normal. **

"**What happened?" Aizen seemed disappointed.**

"**I- I couldn't keep the portal open. If we were left in limbo, that would be bad…" Seren was hanging onto her sword. It was the only thing keeping her up. **

"**Well that's disappointing. Why couldn't you?"**

"**I… already… did that four times today…"**

"**Is that so?" Aizen turned to Green Eyes.**

"**Ulquiorra, why didn't you tell me this?"**

"**I didn't know it exhausted her so much." Ulquiorra replied curtly.**

"**Very well then, that's enough for today. Perhaps when she is recovered, Seren will show us all her power?"**

**Seren knew it wasn't a request. She nodded. She despised that she looked so weak in front of all of the Arrancar, especially Blue Hair, but she didn't know what would have happened if she had lost the strength to control **_**sh'chi.**_** If you lost the portal, you would simply be thrown somewhere random in time. Her knees were knocking against each other, and there was no strength in her spine.**

"**Well then. I entrust Seren to Halibel's care," Aizen said. "Halibel?"**

**The only woman there, with olive skin and blonde hair nodded curtly.**

"**Very well then," Aizen said. "That's it for today. You are dismissed."**

**The Arrancar stood up and filed out of the room. Blue Hair all but ran out of the room. Lanky left after him, and everyone followed suit. Green Eyes lagged; he turned around once. **

**Their eyes met. Seren's heart felt trapped again and started throbbing. His gaze was purely demonic. **

**Then the connection snapped, and he turned around and left. Seren hoped that she never saw him again. That was not fun, she decided. Now if I could just try to get out of here-**

**She turned around and found herself staring at a pair of crossed arms and very large- well. She looked up. It was the Halibel lady. She had on a two-piece outfit, a pair of hakatama pants and a belly shirt that barely covered her chest. The collar to her jacket covered up most of her face, leaving only her light green eyes to be seen. She was several inches taller than Seren. Needless to say, she was very intimidating.**

"**Um… am I supposed to follow you?" Seren asked.**

**Halibel merely nodded in response, and then turned on her heel and followed the rest of the Arrancar out the door.**

"**H-hang on!" Seren gripped Fuerda and stumbled after Halibel. **

**Halibel sighed and turned around. "You're too slow," was all she said. Without warning, she picked Seren up easily in her arms. **

**Seren lurched forward and squeaked. Wow, she couldn't believe that someone- especially a woman- could pick her up so easily. She hadn't thought she was that light. Then again, she was one of those Arrancar, and she had definitely learned one thing: they were powerful. So she shouldn't be surprised.**

"**Whoa, you're not gonna do that weird flash step thing are you?" Seren thought of Green Eyes- rather, Ulquiorra- and she felt sick to her stomach again.**

"**Sonido." Was all Halibel said. Then she launched into speed and flashed along the white hallways.**

**The walls and doorways flicked by and the hallways, all white, blended together because of their velocity. Seren eventually stopped watching. It gave her a headache.**

**It was only after about a minute of this incessant sonido that Seren realized exactly how big the castle was. **

"**What is this place?" She wondered aloud.**

"**Las Noches." Halibel said.**

"**Oh." Seren hadn't expected an answer.**

**Another minute or two of speeding, and then Halibel stopped abruptly. Seren lurched forward and almost fell. "Here we are," was all her captor- well, guardian maybe?- said. It was a blank white door, blending into the rest of the endless hallway.**

"**Ah. Home sweet home." Seren said wryly. **


	2. Three Roomies and a Stalker

**Chapter Two:**

**Three Roomies and a Stalker**

Ulquiorra stayed behind while the other Espada left; he wanted to speak to Aizen.

"Aizen-sama."

"Yes, Ulquiorra?" Aizen replied.

"Why did you want me to go get that girl?"

"Did you miss that? She is the only one with that kind of ability, you know."

"She is too weak. And rebellious. I had to carry her here."

"Ah, well, I guess that comes with the package. But I would like to explore her powers a little further- and if all else fails, we can just get rid of her."

"What is she?"

"A tool."

"I know. But is she a shinigami or a hollow? She looks like a human, fights like a shinigami, and yet-"

"If she weren't a hollow, she would have been attacked by all the other hollows in Hueco Mundo. She must be a hollow."

"She doesn't have a mask."

"Hmm… That's true. I should investigate that further."

"Yes, Aizen-sama. I will take my leave now." Ulquiorra turned around and filed out after the others.

He didn't like how Aizen was so protective of the girl. It was strange.

She was nothing special, just unique trash.

Aizen had even sent out two Espada after her, as if expecting her to be able to fend one off. Also, he'd had to track her by reiatsu. Her trail would suddenly disappear into nothing, and then her reiatsu would blank out- it would reappear a moment later, hundreds of miles away. A space-bender.

This would be interesting, he decided.

Halibel's apartments were all plain white as the rest of the castle was, and very neat and organized. And yet it had a sense of femininity- probably the only in the castle, Seren noted- with a couple fluffy pillows and cleanliness.

Seren walked around, curious. She wandered over by a doorway, looking up at the paneling. And then she turned and ran right into-

"HEY!" yelled the girl she had run into. "What are YOU doing here?" She was rubbing her head; her mask looked like a band on top of her head with a single horn. Kind of like a unicorn. Ha. A unicorn.

"Umm… I honestly don't know." Seren scratched her head, laughing.

"WHAT?" the girl blurted.

"Ah, ah, Apache, what's the matter? You're interrupting my beauty rest!" A woman was laying down on one of the couches. Seren hadn't even noticed her.

She was dark skinned with dark, long wavy hair. She had an eye mask on, and she pulled it off one of her eyes. "Well?"

"There's a stranger in our quarters, Mila Rose!" Exclaimed the girl, who Seren guessed was Apache.

"What?" Mila Rose lifted her eye mask off all the way and walked over. "Oh my!" She said. "It's true! What is she doing here?" She hissed at Apache.

"I don't know!" Apache hissed back.

"Umm, you guys, I'm right here. I can hear you, you know." Seren droned.

"Were we talking to you?" Mila Rose demanded.

"Well, if you're talking about me-"

"She's a cheeky brat. I don't like her," decided Apache.

"Me neither." Summed Mila Rose.

"Wow. You decided that fast."

"Listen, brat, you have a lot of nerve talking to us like that with the state you're in. You look like something the cat dragged in." Mila Rose crinkled her nose in disgust.

Seren tried to be funny. Really, she did. "Um, well, actually, Ulquiorra and that Nnoitra guy dragged me in."

Apache and Mila Rose's faces were both priceless.

"WHAT?!?" They shouted.

"Umm… I'm a guest or something? That Aizen guy sure didn't explain things well." Seren scratched her head.

"THAT AIZEN GUY?" Mila Rose shrieked, scandalized.

"Do you mean Aizen-sama? He is the lord of Hueco Mundo. You should watch your words!" Apache scolded.

"And you all should watch your voices." Drawled another girl. Another Arrancar sauntered into the room. "I was sleeping… until a minute ago…"

"Did you hear everything, Sunsun?" Mile Rose asked.

"Yeah, yeah. For once you're not arguing with each other, but against someone else." The other girl yawned and rubbed her eyes with her oversized sleeve.

"Yeah well, either way, I was charged to Halibel's care or whatnot. She dropped me off here, and so here I am." Seren explained.

"What's so special about you?" Mila Rose asked. "You're pretty weak looking to me." She rudely cupped Seren's face in her hand and looked her up and down.

Seren's eyebrows twitched again. Okay. They needed to stop this.

"All right," she said. She broke away from Mila Rose. "Stop this. Just leave me a corner or something and I promise I won't bother you."

"What a cheeky brat! We really should… do something about this…" Apache smiled wickedly and winked at Mila Rose.

"Oh yes," Mila Rose smiled back. "Sunsun?"

"Definitely. It's been a while since there's been some action around here." Sunsun grinned. She started rolling up her sleeves.

Seren backed up. She might not know her way around here, but she knew when somebody did or didn't want to beat her face in. So far, it seemed that everyone here did. Fun.

She put her hands in the air. "Hey, you guys-"

Then they lunged. Seren shrieked and jumped back, grabbed Fuerda. "All right then. All bets are off!" She pulled Fuerda out and started counting.

"Ichi! Nii! San! Shi! Go! Roku!" Fuerda started buzzing with static; electricity crackled in the air.

"Ha! Look! Looks like she's an Arrancar also!" Jeered Mila Rose. "Let's bring out our swords too!" She pulled out her sword. "Devour! Leona!"

Seren swore. She wouldn't be able to handle all of them if they decided to do that. "All right," she muttered. "Let's go, roku." She rubbed her hands together, building up reiatsu and friction between them. The lightning crackled in her palms.

Apache was to the left, and it looked like she was about to release also. She had to go first. Seren clapped her hands together loudly and a spark shot out from her finger tips to hit Apache.

It hit spot on. Apache yelped and was pushed backwards. Her sword clattered down to the left of her. "Cieva!" She cried. "You witch!" She ran to get her sword and-

"Ah ah!" Seren smiled and clapped her hands again. The sword shocked Apache visciously.

"What- what the hell did you do to my sword, you bitch?" Screamed Apache. "It shocked me!"

"I just made it so you won't be releasing it on me anytime soon," Seren replied calmly. "And you-"

SMACK.

Seren was smashed into the ground by a heavy blow to the lower back. She saw a flicker, and rolled over, very narrowly avoiding being slice in two by Mila Rose's sword.

"Ha! How's that? You so cocky now, bitch?" Laughed Mila Rose.

"Shi!" Seren swiped her hands together, and blew on them. Fire flared out from her hands. Mila Rose jumped back.

"Huh, so you can do more than just lightning, huh? Good," Sunsun said. "This will be more interesting than I originally thought it would! Strangle to death, Anaconda!" She pulled out her sword, and relased. "Resurreccion!"

"Damn." Seren couldn't believe this. Three against one was so unfair! Where was Halibel when she needed her? Or justice, while she was at it? "Go!" She blew through her fingers, and an icy wind blew.

"That's not going to stop me!" Sunsun laughed and reared up. Now she had a snake tail in her relased form.

Seren knew that the fight was not going well in her favor. Her strength had already almost been sapped, and-

"Stop it."

Mila Rose, Sunsun, Apache, and Seren all stopped right in their paths. They turned and looked in the doorway. Framed in there was an unmistakable figure.

"Sunsun, Mila Rose, Apache. Release your swords. Seren, take your lightning off of Apache's sword."

Seren snapped her fingers and the shock disappeared from the sword. Sunsun separated from her sword and transformed back to normal. Apache grabbed her sword. Seren stood up.

"Ha-Halibel-sama," Apache stammered. "I'm sorry, we-"

"No explanations needed. She has been entrusted to my care, and I would prefer that you did not kill her. Aizen-sama would not be happy." The Arrancar said.

"Yes." Mila Rose, Apache, and Sunsun all relented.

"Now, I would ask that you leave her alone. Return to your rooms."

The guilty trio nodded once and then vanished to their quarters.

Seren flinched. It was her turn.

"Seren."

She looked up. "Yes, Halibel?"

"There is an empty room down two rooms to the left. You may sleep there. The first one down is my room. Do not go in there or in the other's rooms, unless you have received permission from the owner. Understood?"

"Yes." Seren felt that being lectured by Halibel was worse than actually being hit.

"That is all. You may go, and clean yourself up. You look like something the cat dragged in."

"Um… thanks." Seren turned and walked to her rooms. She felt incredibly slow because everyone else was using sonido. She'd have to ask one of the three about that… if they didn't try to kill her.

She was in the bath, surprised that it was so luxurious. There was a steady supply of soap and shampoo, which surprised her. After all, this was Hueco Mundo. Oh well. She supposed Las Noches could grow on you after a while.

She sighed and relaxed deeply into her bath. The bubbles tickled her nose. Although she couldn't remember having done this… it did feel nice. It felt like… home. Which she was probably never going to see again…

She sighed. Sometimes things just seemed better in the morning…

Oh well. She'd had one heck of a day, and she had absolutely no energy to ponder it. For one thing she was shocked that she had been defeated so easily; second, that there were apparently many people who could do that. Fun.

About an hour later, she climbed out of the bathroom in a bathrobe and climbed into her own bed. It was foreign. Although it was soft and warm, it was nothing like her home. Her home was a cave hidden away in Hueco Mundo, cold and dark. But, she found, once you were used to the dark, it was welcoming. It was like a shield that protected you from seeing what you didn't want to, and shielding you from the harsh light.

_She was running. Her lungs sucked for air, her legs ached, and her arms sawed back and forth, pushing her on. The lonely sands of the hills of Hueco Mundo blew and sifted, uncaring to her plight. She tried running, faster and faster and faster! Her throat was burning, her muscles were on fire. She felt like her whole body had been dipped in acid, melting away everything it touched. Her heart throbbed frantically, harshly; she could feel it starting to crack her ribs._

_She tripped and fell, sprawling in the sands. She tumbled downhill, ears, eyes, and mouth full of white sand. When she hit the bottom, she was winded and helpless. And yet, cresting over the next hill, she could see what she'd been hiding from. She pulled out Fuerda- only to find that it wasn't there. She turned around, and saw that Ulquiorra was holding it. His mute, cruel eyes revealed nothing to her. She turned around and saw what was chasing her._

_She braced for a fight, fists tight, knowing she didn't stand a chance without Fuerda. The figure rushed up, coming over the top of the hill and racing towards her. And yet, she could only find that the figure was… herself._

_She was an Arrancar, with horns on her head and a white robe. And there was a hole in her solar plexus, where her heart should be._

_She screamed._

Seren woke with a start. Her heart was pumping against her ribs, and her blood pulsed furiously in her veins. Seren sighed. She took a minute to calm her heart that was still racing from her dream. Putting a hand to her chest, she tried to force it to slow. Eventually her panting slowed.

She rolled out of bed. There was no point in trying to go back to sleep, not after that. Straightening herself out, she fixed her nightgown pajamas and looked out the window. The moon was still in the top of the sky. It was the middle of the night.

That was strange, she thought. Hueco Mundo does not have night and day. And yet, it does here, in Las Noches. How peculiar.

She shook her head. She shouldn't worry about trivialities. Maybe if she walked around, she would feel better.

She stepped outside her room in bare feet, and looked down the hall. All the doors were closed; everyone in Halibel's quarters were still sleeping.

Good, Seren thought. She didn't want to deal with anyone right now.

She walked slowly, luxuriantly along the hallways of Hueco Mundo. The windows, bare of any glass, blew in fresh night air. Seren enjoyed it.

To her, the night was ten times as good as any day. The night smelled fresh, cool, and full of possibilities. It was energizing and exhilarating to be alone at night. The trill of danger and beckoning of adventure whispered from the shadows.

She trailed her fingers on the smooth ivory walls. There was spare decorating on the walls, but she didn't care. It was like walking down a hall of dreams. So peaceful.

Seren sighed and was very happy she had woken up from her dream.

It was a while before she realized she was being followed. She felt a slight tweak of reiatsu behind her. At first he heart stopped. Then she kept walking. She wanted to know who it was, and to do that, she should just keep walking and catch them off guard, before they realized she was onto them.

But it was ridiculous. The other always stayed just out of sight, and no matter how fast or slow she walked, or if she stopped, Seren did not see her strange follower. Finally, annoyed, she turned around.

"Who's there?!" She demanded, putting her hands on hips. She was braced for a fight- then she remembered she had left Fuerda behind in her room.

Well, that was stupid.

No answer. The halls echoed her question, as if mocking her. But they revealed no answer.

Huh, Seren thought. Damn.


	3. Good Clothes Are Hard to Find

**Chapter Three:**

**Good Clothes are Hard to Find**

It was morning. Seren sat up in bed. The sunlight streaming through her windows irritated her. She wanted it to be night again. Perky sunlight was ridiculous in Hueco Mundo, and plus it pissed her off.

"Ah, you're awake."

Seren's heart quickened again at the voice. She turned around, to find Apache there. "Uh… where's Halibel?"

"She has better things to do than look after you," Apache replied nastily.

Seren sighed. She fell back on her pillow. "Why am I alive?" She wondered out loud.

"I don't know. If I had just had enough time to kill you, you wouldn't be wondering about that." Ah. So Apache was still sore over that.

Seren rubbed her eyes. "Listen, Apache, I'm sorry about your sword and the fight and the intro and whatnot. But I didn't come here to make enemies. I came here because I was forced- not just dragged, _carried_- by Ulquiorra and Nnoitra. And something tells me you can understand how hard it is to resist them."

Apache's mouth dropped open. She couldn't believe it. This Seren girl was apologizing! Nobody did that, not in Las Noches. Nobody admitted they were wrong. Being wrong was weakness, and weakness meant death here.

"You're an idiot."

"Let me guess. I'm violating some Arrancar code of conduct right? I'm sorry for that also."

Apache then noticed just how tired the girl looked. Her left lower arm had a healing black burn on it. "Where'd you get the burn?"

Seren looked at her arm. "Oh yeah. Ulquiorra shot a cero at me when I tried to use Fuerda to get out of there."

"Wow. I bet that hurt."

"Yeah. That Ulquiorra guy is a son of a bitch."

Apache couldn't help it. She started chuckling, which then bloomed into giggling, and then all out laughter. She laughed, and laughed, and laughed. She started wiping tears from her eyes. "Oh, oh," she cried, "I'd love to see the look on Ulquiorra's face if you told him that!"

"I should," muttered Seren. "it's not like I have anything better to do."

Apache smiled. "You know what? I like you today."

"Good. I like you too."

"Oh yeah!" She turned around her and pulled out a package. "Here's some clothes to wear for today. You only have that torn up… thing…"

"Oh yeah… my former kimono… not anymore." She sighed. "So, what do they look like?"

"They're Mila Rose's."

Serena looked up, took one look at the skimpy outfit, and shrieked.

"HELL NO!"

"Pleeeaaasssee! Please Sunsun, PLEASE!" Seren was down on her knees begging. Sunsun was shrieking.

"What? After yesterday, you want to borrow my CLOTHES?!" She shook her foot, which Seren was grabbing.

"There's just no way I can wear Mila Rose's clothes, pleeeeaase!" Seren hung onto Sunsun's foot, despite how fiercely she shook her leg.

"Well, SHEESH, you should be lucky I was nice enough to offer!" Said Mila Rose. "How ungrateful!"

"I'm sorry, but I just won't. And pleasee Sunsun!"

"NO! and let go!"

"Pleasse!! I'm sorryyyy for yesterdaaayyy! I'm desperate!"

Sunsun by then was extremely angry. She sighed and rubbed her forehead. She decided to give up. "FINE!" She shrieked. "Just LET GO!"

"THANK YOU!!" Seren kissed her hand breathlessly, then ran to go find some of Sunsun's clothes.

"Hmph. I wonder what's wrong with my outfit?" Mila Rose asked.

"Oh. Nothing." Sunsun and Apache said quickly.

"Umm… I don't think this is gonna work…" Seren looked down, staring depressed at the sight of her in Sunsun's clothes. In case nobody realized this, Sunsun is a small, thin girl. Seren was not quite so thin or small.

"Umm.. No." Mila Rose said. "You're about to explode out of that."

"Gee thanks, way to make me feel FAT!" Huffed Seren.

Sunsun laughed softly behind one of her long sleeves.

"Hmm…" Apache said. "What about my clothes?"

"Did you forget why this isn't working in the first place?" Seren asked. "YOU'RE JUST AS SMALL AS SUNSUN!" She furiously threw off Sunsun's clothes and huffed.

"Hmm… well, we could BORROW some…" Apache suggested.

"From who?"

"There's always the other Arrancars…"

"Um… how about this? Can I borrow Halibel's?"

"Um, hon, her top is probably just as bad as mine," informed Mila Rose.

"Yeah, but I'm smaller than her. It'll cover more. Besides, I can probably fit into Sunsun's pants."

"Hm, I don't know…" Apache said.

"Then it's good."

"Wait! What if Halibel gets mad?"

"Oh yeah…" Everyone frowned, trying to figure this out.

"All right um.. Who seems about my size?" Asked Seren.

"… Ulquiorra."

"LIKE HELL. I'M SCREWED!"

"It's all right," smiled Sunsun, smiling suddenly. She winked at Mila Rose. "There's always other fraccion…" They smiled evilly. "We'll be right back…"

A little while later, they came back with a pair of good hakatama pants and a nice fitting, decent top.

"Ooh goody, thanks you guys!" Seren quickly changed into them.

"Anything for a good friend!" Then they smirked at each other. Seren immediately stopped.

"I know what. You stole this from somebody strong, so they'd come and beat my ass, right?" Seren frowned.

"What?" Sunsun and Mila Rose stopped laughing.

"I know it! I knew it!" Seren threw the outfit off and handed it back to them.

"Um… how'd you know?" Mila Rose blurted.

"Stupid!" Sunsun elbowed her.

"Because it makes no sense that you'd risk trouble with other Arrancar for someone you don't even like." Seren said it matter-of-factly. "Well, I guess I'm going back to bed now." She walked away, to her bedroom down the hall.

"Wow… she's sharp." Sunsun said.

"Awww… I wanted to see her fight Aori so bad!" Mila pouted.

Just then they heard the distinctive yell of an Arrancar missing her clothes.

"Oops."

There was a knock on the door a little while later. Mila Rose rushed up to get the door. "I got it!" She called out cheerily. She opened the door and…

"I'm here to get Seren."

The speaker, Ulquiorra stood in the doorway, hands in his pockets, in his typical dark fashion.

"Oh-oh. I'll go get her." Mila turned around and ran as fast away from him as she could. Ulquiorra gave more than just Seren the creepy crawlies.

"Seren!" She called. "Come on, Seren!" Seren opened her door, bleary-eyed as if she'd just woken up from a nap.

"Seren! Ulquiorra's here to get you." Mila reported.

Seren blinked twice. "Wait… WHAT?! He's here?!"

"Yep."

"Are you kidding me?! I have NOTHING TO WEAR!"

"You still need to come." Mila jumped.

"EEEk!" She shrieked. She turned around to find Ulquiorra there. She hadn't even noticed his silent, creeping strides following her.

"What, do you want me to go naked?! Or worse, in Mila's stuff?!" Seren was hiding in her bed, nightgown still on and with the blankets wrapped around her.

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?!" Mila huffed.

"It means your outfits are extremely skimpy and like hell I'm wearing them in public!" Seren yelled.

"HEY! You are suuuuuuch a bitch! I'm never offering you my clothes again! Ungrateful wench!" Mila called back.

"Stop it." Ulquiorra had finally spoken. Mila and Seren stopped. "Seren, you may borrow my clothes for now. But Aizen wants to see you." His voice brooked no room for argument.

Seren's jaw dropped. Mila Rose's jaw dropped. Seren stood there. "Umm… what?"

"Hurry up and follow me." Ulquiorra turned around and walked out the door, coattails fluttering behind him.

Seren looked at Mila and Mila looked at Seren. "Oh!" Seren tumbled out of bed and dashed after Ulquiorra.

"Oh my…" Mila Rose said. "I almost feel bad for her."

Almost.

Once they were outside, Ulquiorra once again picked Seren up without warning, and used sonido to speed to his room. Seren shrieked and grabbed his neck for a hold- for just a second. She let go right away.

She might as well get used to this, until she could sonido. She was going to bother Apache about that. She wasn't as bad as the other two.

They reached Ulquiorra's quarters and Ulquiorra set Seren down. For the first time, Seren felt a pang of nervousness in her stomach. Ulquiorra was… scary. And now she was going alone with him, into his rooms, to wear his stuff.

Umm… _awkward much_?

She curled her arms around herself protectively. She was pretty sure he might try to add a sibling to the burn mark on her left arm. If Aizen wasn't protecting her, she was certain she would have been dead already. But then again, if it weren't for Aizen, he never would have gone after her in the first place…

Okay, enough going in circles. Ulquiorra opened his door and walked into his room.

It was actually clean, Seren noted. Calm. Quiet. Serene. She actually liked it. It was like a calming night wind.

Mostly bare of furnishings, there was nonetheless a room leading to a bathroom, a chair, and a couch from what she could see. There was one small window, high up in the corner, where a small square of sunlight streamed in.

"Here." While she had been busy observing the room, Ulquiorra had already gotten her a pair of pants and a jacket.

"Um… yeah… I'll just… go to the… place…" Seren muttered and walked away as fast as she could without running. She didn't want him to know that his gaze terrified her, or that his very presence made her want to run and hide under the couch. He must never know.

Changing in the bathroom, she quickly got dressed. The pants were very baggy, luckily, and fit fine. The jacket covered everything nicely, and though a little tight around the chest and lower body, was otherwise also fine. She came out of the bathroom after looking herself over in the mirror, making sure that even if Nnoitra were to come, she wouldn't feel she was flashing anything. It was good.

She walked out. Ulquiorra simply took one look, then set off. She struggled to keep up.

Seren was finally done. Ulquiorra found it an annoyance that Seren was wearing his clothes. But it had to be done. She was absolutely not going to wear anything else… but he also didn't want to see her in one of the other female Arrancar things either.

Her long hair was loosely braided with a white ribbon; it was the darkest shade of black brown, and reached all the way down to below her hips. It waved loosely behind her. Seren herself, of moderate height, reached up to about his throat. She had silver lavendar eyes that always seemed to be following him. Whenever he looked at her, her eyes were always looking at his. Then there was a slight streak of emotion in them, and then she would look at the ground, pretending she hadn't been looking at him.

What a strange girl.

Seren hugged herself tightly, as if to shield herself from the clothes she was wearing. This was just so… awkward. And she'd bet anything that Ulquiorra was pissed about it. He seemed to be the territorial type.

Although she had to admit, it wasn't the clothes themselves. They were just fine. They were clean and though they were cold, her body heat would warm them up. She supposed that she shouldn't be surprised Ulquiorra was as cold as he looked.

She bet they looked like a hilarious couple walking together. They even had matching outfits (seriously, what the hell?!?). She almost felt bad for Ulquiorra. This had to be just as bad for him as it was for her.

Almost.

That's what he gets for being an ass.

That's justice.

She nodded to herself. That's definitely it. Justice does exist after all!

She drifted for a minute, then found her thoughts returning to Ulquiorra. Well, he was hard to forget. She was wearing his things, for goodness's sake. Really.

Well, he wasn't even that much of an ass. Just… creepy. Well, not creepy like that Nnoitra guy. He seemed like the type who would rape you in a dark alleyway in the night. Scary. She shivered, thinking about him. That guy made the hairs on the back of her neck prickle painfully. Ulquiorra was just… silent. And gloomy. And he never SAID ANYTHING, dammit! This wouldn't be so awkward if he would just SAY SOMETHING!

"Umm… so… do you like it here?" She miserably attempted to talk to him.

"It is where I live." Ulquiorra replied curtly, not even bothering to look behind him.

Seren winced. Well, that hadn't quite worked. What else could she talk about? Did he maybe like… to cero things or slice things open with his sword more?

Honestly. This was awkward.

She shivered again. She didn't like awkwardness.

"Are you cold?" The voice from up ahead came.

"No."

"Then why are you shivering?"

"Why are you watching so closely?" Seren retorted. The she gasped. WHY! WHY HAD SHE SAID THAT?!?! She mentally berated herself. "Um… sorry… I didn't mean it like that…" She muttered to herself.

No answer. Oh great, now she'd pissed him off. Dammit!

For part of the way, Ulquiorra had decided to try sonidoing; apparently he wasn't used to how slow Seren walked. However, after a minute or two of feeling sick, Seren had shrieked for him to let her down, she could just run the rest of the way.


	4. That Aizen Guy and a Cup of Tea

**Chapter Four:**

**That Aizen Guy and a Cup of Tea**

"Aizen-sama, we are here." Ulquiorra announced simply, as he entered Aizen's room. Aizen looked up from his tea and smiled warmly.

"Good morning. How are you? And why are you…?" He looked up and down at her outfit.

"Haha, long story…" Seren looked at her nails sheepishly.

"She didn't want to borrow Mila Rose's clothes. Or Apache's, or Sunsun's." Ulqiorra reported. Seren wanted to glare at him. Damn watch dog. Surely Aizen didn't have to know that?!

"Ah… I can see where you'd have trouble with that." Seren didn't look up, but she knew he was probably smiling. Because he was laughing at her. Well, she didn't need to go around looking like she was going to explode out of her uniform or anything! Or be hanging half way out of her outfit, like Mila Rose. She was fine in a robe and pants.

"So… Aizen-sama… what did you want to see me for?" She looked up.

"Let's continue where we left off yesterday."

"Yes, Aizen-sama." Wow. She didn't want to piss him off, but at this rate, she was going to start sounding like Ulquiorra. That scared her. But she didn't want to be like Blue Hair either. Wasn't there a middle…?

She pulled out Fuerda, surprised that she had actually remembered it. That would have come in handy last night.

She started the ritual, quicker and less shakily than last time. "Umm… should I include Ulquiorra in this?" She asked.

"Yes. I think he would benefit from this," Aizen explained.

"Okay…" Seren extended the circle to engulf the brooding Arrancar. "Here we go. Ichi. Nii. San. Shi. Go. Roku. _Sh'chi_!" She plunged her sword into the ground, and once again, the atmosphere seemed to slow drastically, as if suddenly caught in a web. The floor started its rippling, as the space around it was released a tiny bit. The colors faded, eventually leaving nothing but black, gray, and white.

Aizen, Ulquiorra, and Seren stood admiring the strange effects of their bubble of time.

"So.. Is there anytime you'd like to return to? Or are we talking about a place?" Seren asked.

Aizen pondered thoughtfully. "Go to about five minutes ago, in this room, please."

Seren nodded. She closed her eyes and instructed Fuerda. The sword itself rippled- just a little- and the scenery changed. Five minutes ago, it had been only Aizen in the room. He was seen having a cup of tea. This again, was black and white, like an old photo. However, Ulquiorra, Aizen, and Seren were all in color and alive.

"Can you… do anything?" Aizen asked.

"What?" Seren asked clumsily.

"Can you do anything to this? Like… change it?"

"Umm…" Shoot. She didn't want to reveal that. If she did, it was all over; the ability to change the past was a fearsome one. She wasn't sure if she wanted such a powerful man as Aizen to know her real secret-

"You can, can't you?" Aizen smiled, but it was a lying smile. She knew that she was busted. Damn. "Please adjust that cup of tea so that it will spill on me, Seren-chan."

Seren looked up frightened. She wasn't supposed to mess with the past. That she had known. Who knew what she could do to the future-

"Seren-chan," the voice sing-songed. "Now, please."

He released just a tiny bit of his reiatsu, but it was enough to prick her. Seren winced. She wished there was someone to help her. Of course not Ulquiorra-

"Seren-chan." The reiatsu flared, and it singed her hands.

"Ah, ah-" She stuttered, rubbing her hands. "Aizen-sama." She walked over to where the old Aizen was. "Fuerda," she muttered. She felt her blade, and took just a tiny bit of material from it. She approached the tea cup, and ever so slightly, touched it. It tilted forward, aimed to spill on Aizen's robe.

"Hmm." Aizen was waiting for something to happen. Nothing did. "That was disappointing."

"Huh?" Seren looked up.

"We should leave now," Aizen said simply.

"Yes, Aizen-sama." Seren released Fuerda, but what worried her was that Aizen was disappointed. That terrified her. Her heart once again started fluttering, but weakly, like a dying bird trying its last to escape its cage.

They reappeared back in the room, and the circle released back into Fuerda. The color flowed back, everything returned to normal, and the heaviness in the air disappeared.

She panted only a little; she was still recovering from yesterday.

"Aizen-sama. Your robe," was all Ulquiorra said.

Seren turned around as Aizen looked down. Indeed, there was a brown tea stain on his shoulder.

Aizen smiled at Seren. "Never mind. That was very interesting. Thank you, Seren-chan. We will meet again soon." And with that she was dismissed, and Ulquiorra was leading her out the door.

Seren stumbled after Ulquiorra. Once again, she was almost tripping on herself. Although the pants fit him, they were a little long for her. She almost killed herself tripping over the hem.

"Hey! Wait up!" Oops. She looked down to watch the telltale lurch of her body and the tug of her feet and the pants. As if in slow motion, she watched her feet slip out from under her…

And he was there. His sure arms caught her under her stomach, just before she fell headfirst into the tile. Her hands gripped his elbow to hold on, and it threw her hair up into the air- a distinct scent of lavendar- and she was stopped.

Seren froze for a second. Then she started and stumbled back from Ulquiorra. "Oh, I'm sorry, clumsy me, these pants are too long, haha…" She scratched the back of her head sheepishly. Only to realize he was already walking again. Although a little slower, she noted.

Hmm. That was weird. It made her heart flutter, and she didn't like it. It wasn't fear or hate which she could trust. It was something else.

It took all she had not to punch herself in the stomach right there for that thought. Of course it was repulsion. Or fear. She'd been about to trip. Of course her heart would beat faster. Yes. That was it.

Definitely.

Eventually, she got pissed. This castle was too large, and of course Aizen had to be so damn far from where she was supposed to be. And the pants had to keep almost tripping her. And she knew that Ulquiorra was probably pissed because he had to wait for her, when he could just sonido away and be at his rooms in a second.

"All right, Ulquiorra, please carry me."

He turned around. "What?"

"You know… do your sonido thing…" Seren felt a blush creeping in her cheeks. Again, she found herself in an awkward moment.

Ulquiorra blinked. His monotone green eyed glared didn't even flicker. "I thought you didn't like that."

"I don't. But it has to be better than almost killing myself." Seren said. Fair enough reason, she thought. That was it. She wanted to live!

She braced herself for the usual rough flip, but instead, Ulquiorra lifted her up gentler this time. Good. No lurching = no vomiting, Seren equated. Good job.

Then he accelerated into a flawless sonido, and the walls once again blended into one white blur, doorways and window flashing past, the only evidence that she wasn't just staying in the same spot. Then they turned down some stairs.

Seren gasped a little as her stomach suddenly lost contact with gravity. She felt like her heart and organs had just rushed into her throat. She searched for a hold, and found one. She clutched at Ulquiorra's jacket tightly as the long stairway finally ended.

However, she didn't let go until they reached his room.

Ulquiorra set Seren on the ground. He then proceeded to open his door without a word.

Seren then realized that she had been literally grabbing onto Ulquiorra for most of the time.

Well, that would make for some awkward conversations, wouldn't it?

She was going to punch herself in the stomach or knock some sense in her head as soon as she was alone.

If she made it.

"Here." Ulquiorra opened the door and walked through the doorway, Seren close behind.

"Yeah," was all she said as she grabbed her borrowed nightgown and rushed to go change in the bathroom.

She came out a minute later. "All right, let's go!" She cheerily announced.

Her cheeriness fell flat. Ulquiorra didn't even blink.

Well, guess awkwardness prevailed this time. At least she had tried.

He picked her up again, and this time, Seren grasped her hands together to keep them from doing anything strange or awkward.

Speeding up, and a minute later, they were at Halibel's door.

"Yeah thanks for the… um… ride.. Yeah." Seren quickly shut the door and ran into her room. Even what she had just said sounded so unbelievably perverted she wanted to kill herself.

"ARGH!" She screamed, and threw her pillow at the wall, before she started banging her head against it furiously.

"Who's making all that noise! I'm sleeping!" Yelped Sunsun.

"Seren-chan's back," Mila Rose called simply from the other room.


	5. The Escapist

**Chapter Five:**

**The Escapist**

"Aizen-sama, you called me?" Ulquiorra strode in through the door, coattails wafting behind him.

"Ah, yes, Ulquiorra. I have something to talk with you about."

Ulquiorra blinked. "Yes, Aizen-sama."

"I need you to keep an eye on that girl. If she tries to escape, I want you to give her this-" he held out a necklace.

It was made of pearls, with a silver clasp and two sapphire loops on the sides.

"…A necklace?"

"Yes. It will seal off her sh'chi for her, so that our Seren-chan cannot escape. I do not want to lose her. Watch over her for me?"

"Yes, Aizen-sama." Ulquiorra took the necklace from his hands and walked away.

_The nightmare came again. She was running, running, furiously, relentlessly pursued. She could almost feel his intense green eyes watching her fleeing back. She wanted him gone. She didn't know what would happen if he caught up to her; had to keep going-_

_And then she stopped. She had to fight. She was tired of running. Her hands balled into fists tightly, and she gritted her teeth, prepared for a fight._

_He came leisurely, unhurriedly, as if he did not know his prey was at the bottom, waiting. _

_Ulquiorra. _

_He smirked. 'Why are you trying to fight?' He asks._

"_I- I-" She stuttered. She didn't know._

_There was no point, because she could not win._

Seren woke up again. She cursed quietly. She was sick of this. She really wanted this to be over. Another sleepless night, and she was going to turn into a zombie. She swung her legs over the bed and got up.

What she needed was another walk. Yes. The night air was calling her again.

Oh, and one more thing. She wanted Fuerda.

Ulquiorra walked in through his door. He was glad that was over. Seren had been strange and unpredictable from the moment he had first seen her.

He didn't like mysteries. He liked to know what was happening, without a doubt, to be sure.

There could be no doubt. There had to be a set, straight pattern. No deviations.

No unpredictability.

He walked into his bathroom, knowing she had foolishly left his clothes on the floor. He picked them up to go put them away and then noticed something with a start.

First, they smelled of sweet lavendar.

Second, they were very warm. Probably warmer than they had ever been.

He wondered why.

Seren was walking along the halls, contentedly. She loved the night. It was at least twice as beautiful as the day with its majesty and mystery, that the day did not possess. The night beckoned…

Then it hit her.

Everyone was asleep.

She had Fuerda.

She looked around. She could escape.

Her heart suddenly thudded like a swallow whose cage door had just opened. Did she dare to hope-?

She could go back to her old life, and just live quietly on her own.

The night beckoned.

She pulled out Fuerda in one fluid movement and positioned herself. She could open a portal with _sh'chi_ and escape, far away into the wilds, to the Forest of Menos, wherever she wanted to go. And they would never find her. Never.

"Ich-"

"You shouldn't do that."

Her heart stopped and she dropped her sword in shock. Fuerda clattered to the ground, and slid a meter or two away on the ground.

Seren didn't dare to look up, because she knew who was going to be there.

Ulquiorra.

"Leave me alone." She growled, cursing her hesitance. She had been so close! If she could just grab Fuerda again, if she tried to go straight to sh'chi-

And yet not. Ulquiorra lifted up Fuerda, and considered it for a second. He looked at her.

Seren felt furious. Who were they to trap her? It was the fury of a swallow at her captors.

"Who-" she snarled, "are you? Who are you to think you're better than everyone else? Huh? Because Aizen said so? Give me back my sword. You can't keep me trapped here forever!"

"Hmm." Ulquiorra's lips twitched.

Her hands balled into fists. "You ASS!" She shrieked and then she rushed at him.

She slapped him with all the might she had in her whole body.

SMACK! There was a sharp snap as her hand made contact with his pale face. The walls echoed the sound, reverberated and playing the slap again and again. Then silence prevailed as the sounds died off.

Seren pulled her fist back, shocked, amazed, proud, and ashamed. Was this all she could do? Slap someone? She should have been able to escape; no, she shouldn't have been able to be captured in the first place. She should have been stronger. And yet she knew he had seen it coming. He could have stopped it- and yet, he hadn't. Why?

"Listen," she said. "I may be weaker than you, perhaps your 'trash' but I DO- and I repeat, I DO- have my pride. I am _not_ trash, nor am I inferior."

He turned his face and stared down at her. His intense green eyes simmered with anger. Seren stared back at him, equally intense and furious.

There was an air of sparks and fury around the two, embroiled in their silent battle.

Finally he spoke. "I didn't think you'd be stupid enough where I'd have to do this." He reached into his pocket. Seren tensed, sure he was going to pull out a sword or shoot a cero.

He pulled out a necklace from his pocket. It looked like a double strand of pearls; they were pure white and lustrous, with two black accents that glittered on the strand. It was beautiful, Seren thought.

"Put it on."

Seren looked at Ulquiorra with a suddenly wavering gaze. Then she gritted her teeth.

"No."

"I don't want to force you to do this."

"What is it?"

"A charm that will tie you to this place. If you try to escape Las Noches, it will attack you, and Aizen will know."

"Then why the hell would I put it on?!"

"Because otherwise I have to put it on you for you."

"What made you think I would try to escape?"

"You shouldn't underestimate Aizen."

"Hmm. So I must be pretty important then, huh?"

He blinked. Seren could have sworn she saw a flicker of surprise in his eyes.

"Because if I wasn't, you would have killed me just now, right?" She put her hands on her hips. "But since apparently I impressed someone important today, you're just going to put a collar on me so I can play like a nice bird in a cage."

"You understand."

"Perfectly."

"Put it on."

Her eyes flashed in defiance again; but then they softened.

"Fine." She took the necklace, deliberately avoiding touching his fingers, and latched it on her throat.

As soon as it closed, a sharp shock shot through her body. Seren cried and sank to her knees, clutching at her necklace. "What- the- hell?" She panted.

"Now it is activated. You can go now." Ulquiorra tossed her sword to her, and then walked away.

Seren stayed on the ground, glaring at his retreating back.

Ulquiorra walked back to his rooms, alone.

He couldn't stop watching the look on her face, over and over, in his head.

The hatred in her eyes, like that of a caged tiger.

He wasn't scared, of course; only intrigued.

He could see her expression as the necklace shocked her; the width of her tilted lavender eyes, the part of her lips, the gritting of her teeth.

She hated him now.

He didn't know how to feel, but it was like a hole in his chest had started filling in, and then stopped; and that somehow left it larger than before.


	6. A Pretty Collar

**Chapter Six:**

**A Pretty Collar**

When Seren opened her eyes, she felt a tickling of pearls rolling around on her neck. She looked down.

Damn.

He'd just _had_ to be there, right in the nick of time. Damn your efficiency, Ulquiorra. And while she's at it, damn you altogether.

Yes Seren thought. That was better. She sighed and touched the necklace, expecting it to shock her.

It didn't. Instead it felt cool and smooth to the touch; it felt heavy also. Normally she would have thought it was beautiful, but it wasn't; it was just a pretty collar tying the dog up. She tried to pull at it, hoping it would come off, or snap.

It didn't.

Damn.

Then she looked around, and found some clothes hanging on the door.

Her heart beating fast, she slid out of bed and walked over to it curiously, and found that they were marked with her name. She smiled. Finally! New clothes!

She pulled them off their hanger. There was a pair of long white hakatama pants, thankfully shorter than Ulquiorra's. There was also a jacket, which looked… a lot like Ulquiorra's. The whole ensemble looked suspiciously like Ulquiorra's. Seren gritted her teeth. She bet command center was laughing its butt off at this. Well, no siree!

"Hey!" She called out the door. "Mila Rose! Sunsun! Apache!"

"Why are you bothering us?" Drawled Mila. "Some of us are busy!" Her voice came from the bathroom, and Seren suspected it was from by the mirror.

"Yeah! I haven't been able to get any sleep since you came!" Yelled Sunsun.

"Shut up, Sunsun. You couldn't sleep before she was here either, because Mila Rose and I were always arguing! Duh." Apache yelled from the front room.

It's good to know I'm so loved, thought Seren. Really.

"Why are you bothering us anyways?" Pouted Mila Rose. "We DON'T fucking like you!"

"Aww… that's a bummer. I wanted somebody to help me design an outfit…"

"OOOH! ME! ME!" Mila Rose came rushing out of the bathroom. Then she stopped. "I mean, it wouldn't be TOO much trouble…" She murmured.

"It's okay. Come one help me with this. I think the command central's getting a kick out of me wearing what Ulquiorra does. Do any of you sew?" She called out.

"I do," answered Sunsun. "But… why should I?"

"Because… umm… I'll do something for you?"

"Ha!" Just then Sunsun snickered evilly. "Well then… we want you to… clean the bathroom!"

"Haha!" Laughed Mila Rose. "It is getting pretty dirty…"

"Well, that's okay. It actually looked pretty decent to me…" Seren said. "BUT when I'm done, you guys are helping me with my outfit, and then helping me learn sonido!"

"What? I never agreed to this!" Called Apache.

"Pleeeasse?! Have any of you ever been carried by Ulquiorra while he's sonidoing?"

"Um… no?"

"Well then. That would explain why you aren't taking pity on my poor soul."

"No… you have to do something else!"

"I'll… be your slave for a day?" Seren crossed her fingers. This one always worked…

"Yes!" Apache, Mila Rose, and Sunsun all agreed. This was going to be good.

"First off on your list of duties," smirked Apache, "go clean the bathroom!" She pointed.

"Fine." Seren wandered in, and started cleaning.

Now Seren knew why they wanted her to clean the bathroom. It wasn't that dirty but… it was HUGE. There were at least five separate rooms branching off the main one… and some of them probably hadn't been cleaned in a while.

Rolling up her sleeves, she tried not to think about what she was doing but her clothes. She wanted an off-the-shoulder or boat neck line. And some nice baggy sleeves. Those were always fun, as Sunsun can attest to.

About three hours later, Seren came out of the bathroom, carrying a bucket, brush, and sponges. She was bedraggled, grumpy, and tired. Forget the five rooms. There were at least ten.

"All right. Now I need you guys to help me with my clothes!"

"Huh?" Mila looked over her magazine (did they even have magazines in Las Noches?). "Done already?" She looked at her watch. "That was fast."

"I know, but I want this outfit done before Ulquiorra comes back and I might have to wear his stuff again, so yes. I went as fast as I could." Seren very much wanted to start screaming right then, but no. Think soothing thoughts. Clothes. Sonido. Kicking Grimmjow in the face.

"All right. Let's get this started!" Mila happily pulled out a piece of paper and pencil, and set it on the ground. "Apache! Sunsun! She's done!"

"Already?" Sunsun staggered out of her room. "Wow."

"Whatever." Apache appeared, rubbing the side of her face. "Let's just get this over with."


	7. Sewing and Slavery and Sonido

**Chapter Seven:**

**Sewing and Slavery and Sonido**

It took over an hour for everyone to agree on a design. Mila Rose wanted a large cutout over the chest and on the sides.

Apache wanted to cut the pants into shorts or a skirt.

Sunsun wanted ridiculously long sleeves and a collar.

Seren wanted her boat neck neckline and to keep her pants the way they were.

They finally decided on an off-the shoulder with cutouts on the sleeves at the arm to please Seren. They have VERY small cutouts on the side to please Mila Rose, and a cutout in the back. She liked them. There were long sleeves, gathered at the wrist, where the sleeve edges draped down, for Sunsun. As for Apache… Well, again, Seren liked the pants.

Sunsun then carried the clothes and the drawing away to go cut and sew. Apparently she already had fabric in her rooms for the sleeves. Which was good.

Seren smiled, very satisfied. This way, she wouldn't look anything like Ulquiorra. She liked that idea very much.

She was still a little sore about last night, needless to say.

"I'm going to go take a shower," she said. "I can be your slave tomorrow. That bathroom was enough for today."

Mila made a pouty face. "But I wanted you to go and organize my dresser!" She pointed to the dresser, where assorted bottles, perfumes, makeup, and other things littered the floor and top of the dresser.

"NO!" Seren yelled. But by then she was already in Mila Rose's room. "Fine. I'll do it, but only because I want to learn sonido as fast as possible." She started picking everything up and putting it in the pile.

"Good," Mila Rose said. "Oh, and get the drawers too. I want the skirts in the left drawers, the shirts on the right. Good girl."

She then left the room to go walk around outside, leaving Seren muttering and making faces at her back.

Before Seren knew it, it was nighttime already. She had finished most of her debt to the three fraccion for the sonido. She'd organized Mila Rose's dresser, served Sunsun as a slave (Water! Get my other pillow! Sunsun would order with a clap of her hands) and had cleaned under Apache's bed.

This was how Seren knew she wasn't dead yet. She could still feel pain.

She collapsed in her bed, praying that her outfit would be done tomorrow. She really was very tired. She was asleep before she could think otherwise.

_She was walking this time. In the hallways of Las Noches, she thought. The bland, bare white walls told her this. The bad thing was, all the hallways looked the same, so she had no idea where she was. If only she could sonido-_

_Then she heard a familiar leering voice._

"_Hey, honey. What're you doing out so late alone?"_

_She whipped around, eyes wide._

_It was Nnoitra, and he was smiling at her. _

"_Little girls like you shouldn't be out alone."_

"Seren! Get up, get up!" She was being shaken awake by Apache. "Get up!" She yelled.

"Wha, what? Is Las Noches on fire?" She muttered blearily.

"No! Your clothes! They're done!" Apache explained.

"WHAT?!" Seren fell out of bed in her haste to leave. "Damn! Where's my clothes?"

"Right here." Sunsun said, holding them up. She looked very satisfied with herself.

"Thank you, thank you!" Seren grabbed them out of Sunsun's hands. And then her jaw dropped.

It was perfect, she was sure.

There was an off the shoulder neckline with a black border, and a cross formed by two black lines on her jacket, one vertical and the other horizontal. The sleeves were formed by a ring that attacked the sleeves to the neckline. The sleeves were long and baggy, then gathered at the wrist to make a long opening.

"It's… perfect." She smiled. "I've got to go put this on!" She hugged Sunsun, Sunsun was shocked, and then ran out into the bathroom, and was out in less than a minute.

She pranced out joyfully. "Well," she said. "The pants feel… tighter?"

"You didn't think we were just going to let you walk around in man pants, did you?" Drawled Mila Rose.

Seren's eyebrows twitched. They ALWAYS had to throw in a wrench in anything they did for her.

"All right, then." She put her hands on hips. "Oh well. I guess they're not too bad." Mila Rose smiled.

"See? You should trust us more."

"You're kidding, right?"

Once again, Seren found herself doing various chores. She served lemonade to Mila Rose while she laid down on the couch, too lazy to get it herself. She had to run errands for Sunsun, who wanted more materials for her sewing projects. Apache ordered her to organize her closet.

About two hours later, Seren stopped. "All right!" She demanded. By now she was really pissed. "I KNOW that was one whole day of servitude. You have to teach me sonido now!"

Mila started fanning herself. "Hmm… What if I don't want to…"

"Then I will fucking pull out Fuerda and transport you back in time and leave you in the Stone Age with a bunch of cavemen. And you'd need me to come back and get you after that!" Of course they didn't know that she couldn't, not really. The stupid necklace would have stopped that, but what Mila didn't know wouldn't hurt her.

"Oh! Fine, fine! Pushy…" mutter Mila. "All right, Sunsun, Apache, you're coming too. You also owe her."

She then walked out the door, leaving the other three stumbling behind her.

"See? Like that. Now you try it!" Apache pointed. "Go to the end of the hall. Try in one step."

Seren looked unsteadily at her feet. She wasn't clumsy, but she wasn't very graceful either. "Okay… here goes… everything."

She tried a sonido, and for a second everything was a blur-

And then she smashed face first into the wall.

"Owww…" She moaned, before falling backwards on the floor.

"Hmm… you need to learn how to turn," Mila Rose said. "That was very far for one step, but also very stupid."

"I noticed. It's what the large red mark on my forehead is telling me right now," Seren mumbled saracastically from the floor.

She got off her back and got up again.

"Okay, let me try this again. This time I will make it!" She rubbed her hands together, determined.

She gave it another go- and the lurching was less unpleasant this time. She found that it was- exhilarating. She laughed and tried to go faster. She turned to corner and raced down the other hallway, and skidded to a halt.

"Ha!" She shot her fist into the sky. "I did it!"

"Yeah. You're actually pretty good at this," Sunsun observed.

"Yeah. It's the strangest feeling, like I've… done this before…" Seren scratched her head. No, she hadn't. It would have come in handy with Ulquiorra.

WHY DID HE ALWAYS POP UP IN HER HEAD WHENEVER SHE WAS DOING SOMETHING?

She smacked herself. "Oh well."

"Huh. Well, I'm going back now. My work here is done." Mila said, and she disappeared.

"Me too." Apache followed.

"And I'm going to get some sleep," Sunsun turned. "Aren't you coming, Seren?"

"No," Seren said. "I think I'll stay here and practice a little more. It's actually fun!" She smiled.

"Suit yourself," Sunsun said, and then she disappeared after the other two.


	8. Watch Where You Step!

I can't even begin to explain how much i hate the stupid story doc thing right now. I had to screw around with it for like an hour to fix chapters seven and eight! screw it all!

**Chapter Eight:**

**Watch Where You Step!**

Seren reveled in her new freedom. No wonder everyone like to sonido so much. It was so much fun! She sonido'd down the stairs. She sonido'd up the stairs. She sonido'ed up and down the halls.

She loved the feel of the wind rushing through her hair, in her face, in her lungs. This was great!

She threw her hands into the air and closed her eyes. If only this could last forever-

BAM!

She ran into something, and fell backwards. "Owww… what was that?" She rubbed her head.

"You really should watch where you're going. Don't want to hurt that pretty head of yours, right?"

Seren's heart stopped. She looked up. Of course it had to be the only person that she really did not want to see.

Nnoitra leered at her from atop his long frame, standing in the hallway. She had run into him, of all people. Looking at him from her spot on the ground from feet up, she could barely see all of him. His height was tremendous.

Seren didn't even go up to his collarbone.

Well, that sucked.

She got up. "Um… I think I'll go now…" She was aware of his creeping gaze traveling up and down her. She shivered on the inside, and the hairs on the back of her neck prickled.

"Hey! Don't leave so fast!" In a flash he was blocking her path. "We just barely got to say hi. Talk to me some more." "No… I really have to go…" She was backing up. She didn't like him. Whether that was because he was creepy or that he had beat her up the other day, she wanted to stay away from him.

"You know, that's very rude." Nnoitra pointed to his chest. "That really hurt when you ran into me. I think I may have a bruise." He pouted. "And you were going to run off!"

Seren wanted to shield herself from his eyes. She didn't want him looking at her the way he was. "I said I was sorry. It was an accident, I didn't mean to."

"Ah!" He said. "I guess you just learned to sonido. How nice." He smiled at her, but it was a lying one. Seren wasn't deceived. She knew what was going on in his head. She backed up again.

"Please step out of the way. I need to get back to my rooms." She tried to go around, but he easily slid over to block her.

"You really are quite rude. I'm trying to be nice about this." Nnoitra sighed. "But you won't even come talk with me. I think you should come with me, for that rudeness. I think you forgot something…" He bent over until he was face to face with her. His gray eyes blazed into hers.

"I could crush you like a fly, little girl, very easily. So you had better listen to me."

Seren's heart started throbbing painfully, like it wanted to go and break out of her ribcage and fly away from the cruel, evil eyes that were watching it. Seren curled her fists around her protectively.

"I-" Then she made up her mind. Without warning, she turned on her heel and sonido'ed away as fast as she could. She had to get away!

She flashed around the corner. But Nnoitra was already waiting for her. "I'm not going to hurt you!"

She knew better than that. She turned around and raced down two hallways, through the door. But he was there too. "Having fun?" He jeered.

Seren's turned and went to the left, plunging down the hallways. The windows and doorways that flashed by were the only indications that she was moving at all. Everything was a blur, and she could only think one thing:

Get away.

She looked behind her once, looking for Nnoitra, and then tripped over the stair that she hadn't seen. She tumbled down the stairs. Seren shrieked, then got up. She had at least one large bruise on her arm, and two on her left knee.

"Still running, pet?" Nnoitra was behind her. "You know, I can sonido just as fast as you can. There's no point in running."

"Yeah. There's also no point in not running also!" Seren yelped, then she flashed away.

She kept running, running. And somehow, he was always at the end of the hallway, smiling at her cruelly.

"Are you done running yet?" He jeered.

"Not until you're gone!" She cried, and turned around and ran the other way, although she knew he would be waiting for her.

Damn.

Finally, she had to stop. Her breath was coming out fast. She wasn't used to this, and it was draining her. Not to mention so far she had accomplished nothing.

This made her pissed. She hated how she was so powerless in this place! She'd been just fine out in the wilds. If only she was there now…

"Well, I'm sorry honey, but I'm really getting tired of this game." Nnoitra appeared behind her. Seren whipped around, braid swinging behind her.

He yawned, to add insult to injury. "It was fun though, but I'm tired of your fleeing. Come quietly and I won't hurt you. It would be a shame. You're too pretty to hurt." He grinned at her wolfishly.

Suddenly Seren felt something. It was just a prickle, but another reiatsu- maybe they could help her! And she turned and gave her all to one last burst of speed.

She stopped and turned down the hallway. "Please, you have to help me-" She started. And then stopped.

It was Blue Hair from before.

Damn. How did she keep getting herself into these kinds of incidents?

But she heard Nnoitra behind her. "Stop running, pet, you're really starting to piss me off!"

She decided to take her chances. She ran and hid behind Blue Hair. "Please, please-"

"What the hell are you doing?" He yelled. "Get off of me!"

"No, please, just help me!" She looked up into his cool blue eyes. She felt a slight flurry of surprise in her stomach, but only for a second. She tried to plead with him silently. She saw a brief blip of surprise in his eyes. All he did was grunt, and put his hands in his pockets.

Nnoitra was walking down the hallway now. "Damn, that little bitch really gave me such a chase! She just doesn't understand the meaning of pointless at all, does she?"

Then he looked and saw her hiding behind Blue Hair. "Hey, Grimmjow, that's not fair. She's my toy, I saw her first!"

"I dunno. She just went and hid behind me." Grimmjow scratched his head lazily.

"Well, give her back!"

Seren squeezed Grimmjow's jacket, begging one last time.

"Well, I don't think wants to go with you," Grimmjow drawled.

"You think I care? If I did, would I have chased her all this way?"

"True."

They paused for a minute. Seren could have sworn they could hear her veins pumping with her blood, or the shaking of her spine, or have felt the weakness that paralyzed her legs.

"Well," Nnoitra said. "Please give her back."

Grimmjow sighed. "All right." He turned around and looked at Seren. "Time to go." Seren shrieked.

"No!" She turned and ran.

"What the hell?!" Was all she heard behind her.

All she'd needed was a little rush. Adrenaline was giving her extra energy. It was like liquid silver in her veins, cold and fierce. If she could just remember to get upstairs, maybe there would be someone else, or if she was fast enough she could find Halibel's quarters-

"Listen, bitch. Really. Are you done yet?"

Nnoitra was there- again! Seren couldn't believe it. How?! How had he found her? She backed against the wall. There was nowhere to go. Her fingers scratched desperately at the wall, as if pleading for an exit to appear.

"Nnoitra. You shouldn't be playing with Aizen's objects."

Seren turned around. It was too much to hope for, right?

It wasn't.

Ulquiorra strode past her.

"Aww, Ulquioos, really. I had to run through half of Hueco Mundo chasing her, and now you're going to take her away?" Nnoitra tried to be nice about it, but Seren could tell he was furious. "I don't agree with that."

"Then maybe you shouldn't have gone after her in the first place," Ulquiorra replied. Seren watched as he placed himself between her and Nnoitra.

Well, here she was, being saved by an ass from a son of a bitch.

Really.

Well, she shouldn't complain.

Amazingly, Nnoitra relented. "Very well then, Ulquiorra. For Aizen-sama." Then he turned and leered around Ulquiorra. "Until next time, pet- and then don't think I'll wait for you to run around." He smiled cruelly, and then disappeared.

Seren hadn't realized that her heart had stopped until it started again. She gasped, and sank slowly to the floor. Her knees were really hurting now. Running after bruising your knee wasn't a good idea, she reminded herself.

Damn.

"You learned to sonido." He didn't even bother trying to make it a question. It was a statement.

"Yeah. Fat lot of good that did." Seren rubbed her arm. She knew how close she had been to being raped by Nnoitra.

Thank goodness Ulquiorra had been there.

"Can you stand?"

"Yeah. I'm not that weak." She got up, and winced. Damn knee. One thing was for sure. She didn't want to be carried by Ulquiorra again. She really didn't.

"Let's go." Ulquiorra turned to sonido away.

"All right." She tried to sonido after him. She couldn't; her legs just wouldn't listen to her anymore.

Ulquiorra turned around. "Weak trash," he explained shortly.

"You know what?!" Seren snapped. She was sick of everyone in this whole damn complex. She wished she was just out by herself, again, and she wouldn't have to deal with any of this. "You're an ASSHOLE!" She yelled. "I have half a mind to slap you again!" She got up and sonido'ed away furiously.

She turned around, looking for him, only to find that he was right beside her.

"Why did you stop?" He asked.

"Because- oh- well!" She tried to sonido again.

She did, but her steps staggered and she crashed into a wall from the side. Seren knew that she was exhausted and needed rest. She didn't know how long she'd been running, but she bet it was at least an hour.

Then she felt the telltale lurching of being picked up again. She didn't even bother protesting. In her heart, she knew she should be grateful to Ulquiorra.

Instead she wanted to punch his lights out.

She simply relaxed against him as he sonido'd, all resistance gone.

The same old blurring walls. Seren didn't even bother looking at them. She just looked at her hands, and noted a large brown bruise forming on her forearm.

Well, that's what she gets for not looking where she was going.

"We're here." Ulquiorra set her down gently, and Seren stumbled ungracefully down. He turned to walk away.

"Um… thanks…" She mumbled it as quietly as she could. Her damn conscience wouldn't let her just pretend he hadn't just saved her.

Damn conscience.

He didn't reply.

Her eyebrow twitched. "I said THANK YOU!" She yelled at him.

"I know." He said. Then he turned around and walked up to her.

Seren looked at the ground. What did he want her to do? Why was he still here?

His cool fingers touched her neck.

An instant electric shock of warning shot through Seren's body. But she stayed still, fists clenched at her sides. He wasn't strangling her, anyway.

He lifted up the necklace, and saw the angry red mark where it had shocked her.

It looked like a burn.

He touched her skin once.

"I'm sorry."

Seren looked up, surprised, but Ulquiorra had already turned his head. He let go of Seren's necklace and walked away.


	9. This is Why I Don't Like Mornings

**Chapter Nine:**

**This is Why I Don't Like Mornings**

Seren tossed and turned on her bed in her sleep. She shook her head and her fists clenched.

"NO!" She screamed- and then woke with a start. She sat up in bed, panting. There was cold sweat trickling down her face. Seren moaned, and covered her face with her hands.

That had been a nightmare. All she could remember was that Ulquiorra had not been there, and Nnoitra had gotten to her.

She never wanted to have dreams again.

"Morning, sleepyhead!" BAM, a pillow knocked her over the head.

"Uuuh… wha…" Seren mumbled.

"It's time to get up. Ulquiorra's here to take you to Aizen. Get up!" Apache hit her over the head with the pillow again.

"Mm uwaha, fine!" Seren sat up and blocked another pillow attack by Apache. "I'm up, I'm up…" She mumbled. She stepped out of bed drunkenly, and half blindly searched for her clothes.

She hated daylight.

And mornings.

And Ulquiorra.

And a possible Aizen.

Yep, she hated them all.

A little later, Seren stumbled out from her bedroom.

"Oh, I'm here, Ulquiorra. Let's go…" She rubbed her eyes. After that nightmare, she hadn't been able to get to sleep, and she didn't want to tell anyone else about that Nnoitra thing. In fact, she hoped that if she left it alone, it would all just fade away.

Seren looked disheveled; her hair was coming out of her braid and there were large bags under her eyes. Her shoulders looked like they were slumped over with some invisible burden, and her frame seemed weaker than before.

Then, of course, she took one look at Ulquiorra and straightened up. She furiously sonido'ed away.

Ulquiorra almost chuckled. She didn't want to look weak in front of him, how childish. Besides, she didn't know where Aizen's room was.

He took the lead, and she followed as usual; however, the walk wasn't nearly as long as before, thanks to sonido.

They stopped outside the door, and Ulquiorra announced their arrival.

"Ah!" Aizen was there with his usual tea and smile. "I'm so glad you could come, Seren. Please, sit, sit!" He motioned for her to take a seat by him. Seren sat down cautiously.

"Ah, I see you received the clothes I sent you." He smiled at her, and Seren kind of-well- grimaced in return.

She'd tried to smile.

"Yeah. Sunsun sews well," she said.

"Well, Seren, I'd like to know more about you. What were you doing out in Hueco Mundo?"

"Um.. What?" That caught her off-guard. "I… was just born there, I guess. Or at least, as far as I can remember…"

She could almost feel Aizen's eyes on her. She kept her gaze averted to her knees.

"Tell me something, Seren. Do you have a mask?"

"What?" This was getting weird. "I don't… think so…" She double-checked. "No. Why?"

"You look like an Arrancar, claim you are a Hollow, and have the powers of a shingami. Seren, there is something you are hiding from us."

She knew he was about to do something horrible to her if she didn't cough up an answer. But there wasn't one… She'd always thought she was weird, but not entirely odd.

"Umm… I don't think so. There's nothing I can remember, anyways."

"You're lying." She could feel his reiatsu gathering up. Crap, he was about to put her in submission, like he had for Blue Hair.

"I really don't know!"

"There are obvious flaws in your story. If you think that I am too stupid to realize that, than you are a great fool." He was angry.

"I- I-"

"Tell me." He unleashed his reiatsu on her. She yelped once, before she was slammed on her knees. She grunted and clenched her fists.

It hurt. Bad.

"I honestly can't remember anything!"

More pressure. She could swear she could feel her spine cracking under the pressure.

"I! Don't! Know!" It was like having the force of a three story building sitting on her shoulders. She bit her lip, and she started bleeding.

"Aizen-sama, perhaps she really doesn't know."

"Very well then." The pressure released, and Seren could think again. She panted, catching her breath. She stood up again, but this time backed away from Aizen.

"Why do you say that, Ulquiorra?" Aizen turned his attentions to Ulquiorra.

"Perhaps she was tampered with." Ulquiorra didn't blink or show any emotion.

"Hmm… how?"

"Her memory." Ulquiorra explained, matter-of-factly. "No one is stupid enough to want to be crushed by you just to keep what they are a secret."

Aizen waited a moment, thinking. "Very well. We shall see what Szayel has to say. Please go get him."

"Yes, Aizen-sama." He turned on his heel and flashed away.

That left Seren alone with Aizen.

Again, awkward.

She really wished these weird situations would stop happening to her.

She stayed silent, and Aizen stayed sitting, pondering his cup of tea. There was no sound, except the faint blowing of wind outside against the walls.

Finally, Aizen broke the quiet.

"I see you received my necklace," he said, pointing to Seren's necklace. "I hope you like it." He smiled in his false, lying way.

Seren decided he was the most evil creature she had ever encountered.

A minute later, Ulquiorra returned with Szayel. "We're here," he said simply, walking in the room.

"Aah, yes, I remember her," Szayel said, looking at Seren. "She's the little time traveller, right?"

"Yes," Aizen replied. "Ulquiorra believes her memory has been tampered with. Is there anyway to tell?"

"Hmm… let me see." Szayel walked over to where Seren stood, and cupped her chin in his hand and looked in her eyes. Seren's eyes flickered to the ground quickly. The last thing she wanted to do was look at anyone in the eyes after what had just happened. Of course her memory hadn't been tampered with. She would know, right?

No, of course not.

"Seren-chan, could you do something for me?" Szayel asked.

She only nodded.

"I need you to look at me. What's your oldest memory?"

"Umm… I think when I was very young. My parents were there, and-"

"And before that?"

"Um…" She searched. She tried and tried. She didn't want to be hurt anymore, she just wanted an answer so she could go back home and live happily ever after. But nothing came, and she could tell that was never going to happen.

"Yes. Ulquiorra was right, Aizen-sama. Someone has tampered with her mind." Szayel released Seren and straightened up.

"How can you tell?"

"I think there was a seal placed on her memories. Her eyes blanked when she tried to remember past the instated memory."

Seren blinked. She'd what?

"I see," Aizen said. "Well then, is there any way to lift it off?"

"I don't know. Perhaps if I could test on her-" Seren tensed, and her heart stopped. Testing?

"No. I'm afraid we can't do that." She sighed with relief on the inside. At least Aizen wouldn't let her be tested on. "You may go, Ulquiorra, Seren." Seren scampered up, glad to be rid of both the mad scientist and the mad ringleader.

"And, Seren-chan." She turned around, to face Aizen. He smiled at her. "Sorry about that."

She merely nodded numbly, then rushed out the door after Ulquiorra.

"Do you want me to carry you again?" Ulquiorra said once they were outside.

"No. I'm not that weak where that would wipe me out." Seren grumbled. Her back ached, and she felt tired. Seriously, not a day passed here where she didn't get hurt in some way. And she was sick of feeling weak. Really.

Not for the first time she wished she could trade her time and space bending into some powerful offensive attacks. Because then she wouldn't be here in the first place, happily on her own off in Hueco Mundo. Plus she'd be able to defend herself. But no. Peace was too much to ask for.

And she was also sick of Mr. High and Mighty here. Maybe he would be added to her list of people who need Fuerda shoved up their-

No. Breathe, Seren, breathe. There's no need to kill anyone yet.

She decided to sonido ahead. She could handle it.

Seren rushed ahead of Ulquiorra. She didn't feel like waiting for him. She wanted to find her way back, go to her room, and stay there forever. Before that Szayel guy got his way and tested on her.

"You're going to wrong way." Ulquiorra stood in her path.

"Oh." She didn't even bother to sound sorry.

She avoided his glance, staring at the ground, turning around, and went the other way. Weak trash?

No. And she would show all of them.

Seren was in her room, practicing her powers. As long as she didn't try to reach _sh'chi_ her necklace wouldn't shock her. She directed lightning furiously at the walls; she created fire; she lifted earth and practiced manipulating water with a cup of tea.

The girl was furious. She hated how she was weak; it made her despise herself. But what angered her most of all was the way that Ulquiorra had regarded her. So Aizen had duffed her up a bit- now she needed to be carried? Like a baby?

Like hell she was.

Thinking about it, she rubbed her hands and blew on them, creating fire. It flared violently, before dying down to a faint simmer. She would show them!

Seren practiced relentlessly, fiercely, and without mercy. She worked herself up to roku twenty times, practicing each of her offensive attacks. Obviously, what had worked outside, wasn't going to work in here. With Nnoitra out to get her, Szayel wanting to test on her, Aizen wanting to use her as a tool and order her around like his obedient guard dog, she couldn't afford mistakes. _And_ Ulquiorra regarded her as trash, and her own roommates could sabotage her at any minute. And her so called guardian, Halibel, wasn't doing such a good job. Well, fat lot of good that would do. She would have to depend on herself.

She would make her attacks perfect, so that even Ulquiorra would think twice before insulting her.

If Seren was to be a caged bird, she would be a caged hawk.

"Ulquiorra is here to see you, Seren," drawled Mila Rose the next morning. "Um, hey, Seren?"

"I'm here." Seren strode out of her rooms, fully dressed, and ready to go. She looked at Ulquiorra. "Aizen-sama, right? Well, let's go." She strode out ahead of him, and sonido'ed away. At least by then she knew how to get there.

She left Ulquiorra in her dust.

Ulquiorra was, needless to say, shocked by Seren's transformation. He had just left her last night, and now- she was someone else.

It was a poor comparison to the sad, disheveled creature Seren had been the night before. Now she stood straighter, taller, neat, and assured. Her aura crackled with electricity.

He wasn't quite sure which Seren he disliked more.

"Aizen-sama, I am here." Seren announced simply. She strode in, Ulquiorra still behind her.

Aizen looked mildly surprised. "Ah, Seren-chan. "I didn't expect you to be here so soon."

Seren smiled. "I was ready this time." Her lavendar eyes gazed into his.

Aizen raised his eyebrows. "I see. Well, you can imagine why you're here."

"Szayel found something, didn't he?"

"Yes."

"I'm ready."

Aizen smiled. "That's good. I thought we were going to have to force you. You tend to have a bit of a rebellious nature."

"Yeah."

Seren didn't notice Ulquiorra walking in the door, or standing over by her side. But she did notice Szayel come in.

"Szayel-san." She nodded at him.

"Aha!" He said. "Seren-chan even remembered me! I feel special." He fixed his glasses. "Well, it's quite simple, really. Most common charms can be released with a simple counterattack."

"So you're going to hit me?"

"Pretty much." Inside, Seren winced, but on the outside, she simply steadied herself.

"I won't fight."

"Good girl." Aizen grinned.

"You see, Seren, I think there must an illusion of some type around you. A very bad one, mind you, but it is actually pretty sturdy. Perhaps you were trying to hide from something…?" "Of course. Hollow's don't have parents, and they don't look like humans." Wow. Whoever it was, they had really done a crap job with her. She wondered why she hadn't noticed how phony it really was.

Well, she did have her memory blocked.

"Seren-chan, I'd like for you to just stand over here." He led to a spot under a lamp-looking thing. Seren almost asked why there was a lamp in Las Noches, then decided not to bother.

She wanted to know who she really was.

"All right. This could hurt. But first, let's get some light…" He hit the light switch.

In one moment, the light flicked on, and all of Seren was suddenly doused in searing pain. She screamed and sank to her knees. She grabbed at her throat and panted.

She saw Ulquiorra's face, and his look surprised her. He looked shocked, emotion showing. She could have sworn she almost saw a flash of pain- but of course not. She was seeing things. Then the pain intensified, and she screeched loudly.

"What… the… hell?" She gasped. "Szayel, you bastard!"

"Just a little longer, Seren-chan." He smiled wickedly at her. Of course. He was probably enjoying this. Her pain. As soon as she got out of here, she was going to shove Fuerda up his-

And Aizen too. He had officially earned himself an extra large can full of whoop ass. And maybe Ulquiorra too. He probably knew about this, too. They were all out to get her, she was sure. It made her furious.

She was going to destroy them with her bare hands.

Instinctively, she knew what to do. She tried to draw her power out of her center, her chest. She found it, whirling violently and devilishly. It was just as furious as she was. She tried to draw it out, but there was a block.

Idiots. Did they think their little lamp would block her? Seren didn't care if she was killed. She was going to destroy them first.

She probed the block, looking for a weak spot.

She found it.

Her power exploded from her chest furiously, smashing the block. It disintegrated like rock before a burst dam.

There was a flash of light. A low roar exploded, and then a force of air shoved Szayel, Ulquiorra, and Aizen back. Szayel was shoved into a wall, Ulquiorra stood his ground, and Aizen looked like he was merely enjoying a pleasant breeze.

The light fluttered out, and the wind blew out. The lamp cracked, shattered, and fell over, hitting the ground with a harsh clang.

Seren was laying on the ground, unconscious, hair loose, scattered on the ground. She had two ivory horns curving out of the sides of her head. There was a distinctive burn hole over her solar plexus on her uniform. It was burned right through, and the edges of the clothing were singed, smoking. And there, was her hole.

"Ah, I see. So she was a Hollow after all." Szayel pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, like observing an interesting specimen. "But I think she'll be out for a while, though. That block didn't want to release nicely."

"I see. Ulquiorra, you should take her back to her rooms." Aizen motioned to Ulquiorra, who only nodded, picked Seren up in his arms, and flashed away.


	10. Pink Hair is Definately Not Gay

Hey people again! I got added to some new fav author lists!! yayyyy!!! My life is once again worth living!!!!

Haha... anyways... i was reading the really new chapters in bleach and thought, whoa... wonderweiss is a PSYCHO... nd aizen's back! oh shit!

**Chapter Ten:**

**Pink Hair is Definitely Not Gay**

_He was there again. She could see his cloak flapping in the wind, on top of a hill. She raced after him, calling a name that somehow she knew:_

"_Kisuke! Kisuke!" _

_He turned around, his wild hair ruffled and scrabbly looking as usual._

"_Oh," he said. "Valencia. It's about time you got here. But unfortunately, I have to go." He turned around to leave._

_What? She screamed at him. She really wanted to say, 'what are you talking about' but what really came out was different._

"_Why did you betray me?" She screamed. _

_It wasn't her, though. She hadn't said that. But it had come from her throat, though she didn't know why. The question resonated with something deep inside her. _

"_I didn't betray you," Kisuke said. He stopped. She could only see his back. "He did."_

_She turned around. Behind her was a man with pale hair in a white shinigami uniform. _

"_Hello, Valencia." He said._

"_Rabaeth?!" She screamed._

Seren opened her eyes.

She screamed.

"Is something wrong?" Mila stumbled in, tiredly. "Jeez, it's the middle of the night, too early to be flipping out on us yet-" Then she stopped. She looked up and down at Seren, shocked.

"What?" Seren asked.

Mila pointed at her chest.

Seren looked down, saw the hole in it, and gasped.

All she'd remembered was breaking the block. But apparently she hadn't unlocked her memories.

She stumbled into the bathroom to get a gander at herself. Soft moonlight streamed in, forcing the shadows back to their corners. Seren stumbled to the sink, and gripped the edges. The mirror revealed an entirely different person from what she had been.

Her face had used to be warm and humanlike, and soft; but now her face was paler, had a harsher set, and looked colder. Two long horns curved out of the sides of her head, graceful and brilliantly white. There was also a large hole burned out over her solar plexus, right where the line designs on her jacket converged.

She pulled out Fuerda, seeing a sheath on her back. The sword was longer, a hard gold. Before it had been short, plain, and unmarked, a simple cross with a point. Now it was long, clean, and a perfect cross, sharp. Where the hilt and blade crossed was a large emerald, with gold wire tying it tightly to the sword. She lifted it up, then tried a couple slices with it. It moved easily and fluidly with her. Seren marveled at how heavy yet elegant it was. She looked in the mirror, noticing one last thing.

Her eyes. Her soft, wavering lavendar silver eyes had been replaced by an ice cold, sharp and piercing pair. They were darker, a deep violet with metallic silver flecks on the inside.

Who was that?

She was a Hollow. No, more than that.

She was a caged hawk.

Seren decided she liked her new look.

That wasn't all, Seren learned. It was like a block on her powers had been released. No wonder she had felt so weak before- now she was so much stronger. When Seren tried to practice her attacks, the lighting that normally would have left a slight mark on the wall burned entire walls black. The fire that she flared was ceiling high. The things she tried to cool turned frozen solid. Everything was better, even her physical strength. Seren now knew that she might even have been able to take on all of her three roommates at once, and have won.

It was great. She felt powerful, energized, charged.

She smiled. It was time to take a walk.

When she strode out of the room, Apache, Mila Rose, and Sunsun all stared at her receding back, the way mice view a passing hawk.

Seren walked down the hallways, with a swagger and head held high. Fuerda felt heavy and reassuring on her hip. Her hair was tightly braided, and tied with a white ribbon intertwined with it. The hole in her chest was clean defined, and shown with pride. Her white horns glowed in the daylight.

Seren felt whole.

The passing Arrancar didn't bother her. They took one look and recognized her as their own- or rather, higher than they. Seren had vaulted from below fraccion level to above it. Ha, she thought. I should go visit Ulquiorra like this. The shock on his face would probably be amazing.

That thought entertained her very much. She might even zap some lightning at him, let him see how burns felt.

And then she ran into Nnoitra.

She'd simply turned the corner, and there he had been. He turned around, surprised, and then a leer lighted up his thin face.

"Hello, pet. How've you been?"

"Fine." Seren kept walking. She could almost feel Nnoitra's surprise. She wasn't the scared little girl that hid behind others anymore. Besides, she was sure if she ignored him, he would disappear and go bother someone else.

He didn't. "Hey, wait up, honey. Don't leave me so fast!"

"I'll leave you if I want to. I have somewhere to go." She didn't even look behind her. Although she was stronger, she didn't want to try it out against Nnoitra.

"You're being rude again."

"Yes." She launched into sonido, furiously. Maybe she could at least outrun him.

Not so. But at least he wasn't that much faster than her.

"Would you just stop bothering me and get a life?!" She stopped; she was not in the mood to deal with this.

"My, my, pet, you've changed a lot since I last saw you." Nnoitra stopped in front of her, once again blocking the hallway.

"Yeah. In case you haven't noticed, there was a block on my powers, and now they're back." She stopped and stood facing him, hands on hips. "I'm not really as weak as you think I am. I suggest you leave me alone."

"Ah." If at all possible, he smiled even wider- and creepier. "I see. I always did like a challenge."

"Of course you did." Seren turned the other way and tried to leave, but Nnoitra grabed her arm and held her fast.

"Not so fast. I don't want to wait for you to run around like last time. I learned my lesson." She could feel his breath in her ear, as he pulled her close.

She didn't like it. Even though she was confident in herself, she couldn't mistake the enormous reiatsu that fluttered around him. She knew that he could probably overpower her.

Well, if all else failed, she could try to make a run for it.

Oh well. Here goes nothing. She turned, yelled at him, and summoned a vicious spark of lightning. "Roku!" She commanded. She didn't even need to pull Fuerda out or summon the other levels. The lightning just happened.

Nnoitra yelped as the lightning shocked him. He let go, and staggered away a bit, looking at his burnt hand. "You BITCH!" He yelled at her.

Seren stood there, surprised, then took her chance and lurched into a sonido as fast as she could. The walls flashed by, the windows barely even making a dent into the white of the hallways, she was going so fast. Her velocity hurt her eyes, but she didn't care. A little eyesore was better than being anywhere by Nnoitra.

She hurled herself blindly down the halls, but she knew that he was gaining on her. And if his reiatsu was any indication, he was furious. She need to find somewhere to hide.

She jumped down a stairway in one step, then turned into the first door she saw, locked it, and backed away, hoping he wouldn't see it. Please let him just keep going, assuming she was still running away. She suppressed her reiatsu as much as she could, so he wouldn't be able to sense it and find her.

She felt his reiatsu fly past, and continue down the hall.

Seren waited for three minutes; when he did not return, she sighed. She put a hand to her hammering pulse, panting. She was safe- for the moment, at least.

It was then she realized she wasn't alone.

"What the hell?" She heard a familiar growl.

Damn. She turned around and noticed two things.

One, it wasn't just a closet like she had thought. It was a bedroom, and probably part of the personal quarters of an Espada.

Two, she was right, and it wasn't just any Espada.

It was Grimmjow.

Damn! How did she keep getting herself in awkward situations like this?!

Yay! Random Omake Time!

_Somewhere random and far away that has nothing to do with the present…_

"You know, you really are cute," Szayel told Seren suavely. He raised his eyebrows in what he probably thought was an attractive expression.

"Are you kidding me?" Seren asked. "You gotta be. Shouldn't you be, you know… Aren't I not your type?"

Szayel looked back at her, surprised. "What do you mean?"

Seren sighed. "I mean… you know… I AM a girl."

"I don't know what you mean?" God, he was being slow, thought Seren. Did she have to spell it out for him?

"I mean, aren't you GAY?!" She blurted, impatiently.

Szayel's mouth opened. "What? Why would you think that?!"

"I mean, you know, your outfit looks kinda like a skirt, the whole pink hair thing…" Seren hinted.

"What?!" Szayel smacked his forehead. "It's ALWAYS the hair! I was BORN with this, it's not my choice!"

"Well, it makes you look gay." Seren deadpanned coolly.

"Maybe that's why girls never think I'm serious when I flirt with them!" Szayel said, as if he had just discovered a lost treasure.

Dur, dur, dur, Seren thought. "Well, yeah."

That one goes without saying.

Haha! how'd you guys like the omake!? Please review!

so yeah, i really do think szayel's gay... but i thought this kind of situation would be funny...


	11. Awkward Situations Keep Happening to Me

Arggh, this story format thingy is sooo annoying... it keeps changing my chapter titles, which are supposed to be CENTERED, to the left! it really is very annoying... oh well. am i freak for caring??

nonetheless, here is the great funniness you've been waiting for!

**Chapter Eleven:**

**Awkward Situations Keep Happening to Me**

"Hello? What are you doing here?" The Espada asked again.

Just her luck, out of the pan and into the fire.

"Hey wait! You're that weirdo little girl from a couple days ago!" He pointed at her rudely. "Why are you here? Get the hell out!"

Seren clenched her fists at her side and wheeled around to face him. "For your information, I wish I wasn't in here right now, but I needed somewhere to hide. And yes, I am the girl you basically handed over the Nnoitra to get raped. Thanks, asshole!"

His jaw dropped. "Wha- what the hell?! You can't talk to me like that?!" He snarled.

"I just did, so I guess I can." She crossed her arms. She just wanted to get out of here, but he was blocking the door. Damn.

"Not if you want to live." He smiled wickedly. "I've been bored, I would like a good fight. But you look too weak to even be entertaining, even for a little while." He yawned and put his hands behind his head. "Weakling."

Seren shrieked at him. "WEAK? I'LL SHOW YOU WEAK, YOU SON OF A BITCH!" She clapped her hands, and lightning shot out of her hands. It missed of course- he was too fast- but it hit the door, and there was a sizeable hole where he had been. It was smoking.

Then she regretted it. The Espada suddenly smiled. But it was a lunatic grin, like how a jaguar smiled before pouncing on its prey. "Well, it looks like you're a little more interesting than I thought!" He laughed and attacked.

Seren really wanted to slap herself. WHY was she ALWAYS going off on the wrong people?!

She pulled out Fuerda and quickly blocked his sword. She had barely stopped that before she was hit from behind, and she tumbled across the room. Swearing, she commanded "Shi!" And a flare of fire blew from her hands. There was a loud hiss, and Grimmjow stopped at the end of the room, his sleeve singed.

He only smiled wider.

Damn!

His sword met hers, ringing loudly and fiercely. She could only block his vicious attacks, that left her sword ringing and her arms crying in pain. But Seren wasn't through yet. She noticed a hole in his attack, and fiercely stabbed. She got him- but-

She felt a searing pain on her left shoulder and she fell. She looked up. He hadn't even stopped!

Grimmjow had a large gash across his chest, but it hadn't even fazed him. He seemed to revel in the pain, actually.

What a monster.

She gripped her shoulder, and stood up again. This time she attacked.

She came at him hard, Fuerda clashing with his zanpakutoh over and over; the harsh screeches of the screaming swords filled the room.

But there were no more holes in his defense, and she was retreating again. He was overpowering her. She had her hands full just defending herself!

Seren gritted her teeth. She was really sick of this. She screamed at him, and with one fierce attack knocked his sword out of his hands- but hers went flying too.

Why?! Why?!

Grimmjow smiled at her, and jumped back. He was summoning a cero!

Seren barely had time to yell "Go" before she dived to the side, to dodge it.

Then she was picked up by her neck, and a sword to her throat. Grimmjow grinned wickedly at her.

"Gotcha," was all he said. He raised his sword to kill her and-

"NOOOO!" Seren screamed and kicked him between the legs as hard as she could.

Grimmjow froze. He looked at her, shocked. His face even turned a little blue.

Seren stopped breathing for a moment.

Then Grimmjow dropped to the ground, yelling. "WHAT THE HELL, YOU BITCH!" He yelled. "YOU-"

She didn't stay to find out. "Sorry!" She yelled behind her as she sonido'd out of the room as fast as she could.

She was halfway back to Halibel's room before she realized she'd left Fuerda in Grimmjow's room.

Damn. Honestly, how did she KEEP getting herself into these messes?!

i knwo that was a mean placeto leave off... sorry... i kinda just wanna watch you guys writhe in agony and suspense!!

MUWAHAHAHA!!

anyways, if you review, i might consider putting the next chapter up today... hehehe...


	12. Awkward Situations, Part Two

Hello everyone! I got a really worrying note today that apparently chapters seven and eight are the same! Oh no! I must have screwed that up. I'm going to try uploading them again to fix it. Somebody please drop a note if it is! Anyways, here is all the hilariousity that you've been waiting for! yaya grimmykins!

**Chapter Twelve:**

**Awkward Situations, Part Two**

Well, there were three things she could do:

One, she could run back and try to grab Fuerda before Grimmjow noticed she was back.

Two, she could wait a day for him to cool off, and then run back.

Three, she could say screw Fuerda and just try to get along without it.

As three was impossible, one was suicide, she decided to take option two.

She sonido'd back to her room before she could run into more trouble, and collapsed on the bed, exhausted, and slept without a second thought.

Seren almost cried when she woke up the next morning. She really wasn't looking forward to facing Grimmjow again.

He'd probably want to kill her of course, like everyone else here.

She sighed, rolled out of bed, and dressed, all the while with the manner of her last morning alive and humming a funeral dirge.

Might as well set the mood.

She was outside Grimmjow's door, trying to get the guts to knock on the door. She felt like ice was running in her veins instead of blood, and her heart was skipping every other beat. Her hand was raised to the door, but she couldn't bring herself to knock.

She clenched her teeth and knocked, very quietly.

No answer.

She got angry and pounded on the door as hard as she could. And of course, she'd ended up punching a hole through the door, right under the one she had made the night before.

Oops. He was going to be angry about that one.

"What the hell?" She heard a familiar growl, and then the door was swung open by a familiar figure with blue hair.

He looked at her once, then slammed the door behind him.

"Hey!" Seren yelled. "Let me in, or I will really break down this whole door!" She pounded on it again. "Hey!"

The door opened again. Grimmjow grimaced, showing his sharp canines. "Why are you still here?"

"Umm… I… left something here…" Seren suddenly felt scared, regretting her outburst. She was entirely defenseless. She didn't even have her sword.

"Oh yeah. Your sword." He paused for a moment. Then he slammed the door behind him again. "Too damn bad!"

Seren shrieked and fiercely kicked the door down. "HEY! I came all the way here to get it back. You should at least give me a minute!"

"You kicked me where you should NEVER kick a guy! No, I shouldn't." He didn't even bother turning around and kept walking.

"Hey!" Seren ran after him. "Hey!"

Then she watched as he picked up her sword. He held the huge weapon easily, and then turned around.

"This is what you want, right?"

"Y-yes…" Shoot. He was probably going to break it now.

"Hmm.. Maybe I should break it?" He gripped it tighter.

"No!" Seren wailed. "Please, I'm sorry, but you were about to kill me, and you were totally asking for it!"

He grinned crazily again. "That's not good enough. I wonder what I should do to you?"

Seren's eyebrow twitched. She really wanted to kill him right now, except she'd end up being the one that was killed. There had to be a way out of this.

She strode towards him. He seemed the kind of up front guy. "Listen, give it back, and I'll do something for you. We can strike a bargain."

He considered it, looking her up and down. "I don't know. You're not exactly my type."

Seren shrieked. "You PERV, not like that!" Her face blushed wildly. "Now give Fuerda back, you ass!"

She jumped up to get it, but he simply took advantage of his superior height and waved it above her head. "Come get it, shorty!"

"I'M NOT SHORT!" She yelled, and rammed into him as hard as she could. To both of their surprise, she pushed him off his feet. She saw surprise flash across his eyes and her own, as she grabbed Fuerda from his hands and opened her mouth to scream;

Grimmjow landed on the floor with a heavy thud, and her on top of him.

She landed on his chest, right between her legs.

Well, that looked a little weird.

Her jaw dropped. Damn! Why was she ALWAYS in some strange situation with everyone?!

Grimmjow didn't even both looking surprised. "I thought I said you weren't my type."

She hissed at him and jumped off as if she'd been burned. She gripped Fuerda to her chest. "I'm LEAVING!" Then she ran away as fast as she could.

All she heard was him laughing behind her.


	13. Thirteen is My Unlucky Number!

**Chapter Thirteen:**

**I Just Remembered! Thirteen is My Unlucky Number!**

Seren stumbled into Halibel's quarters, panting, her heart still pounding furiously. She blushed just thinking about that.

One thing was for sure: she wasn't letting anyone make her pants any tighter or shorter. Not with stuff like that happening.

"Oh yeah, Seren, Ulquiorra stopped by looking for you. Aizen wants to see you again," drawled Apache from her room. "He said that you should find him immediately." She turned the page of her book nonchalantly.

"Oooh no!" Seren hit herself in the forehead. Dealing with Ulquiorra or Aizen was the last thing she wanted to deal with right now.

So she'd been singing that funeral dirge for a reason. She just hadn't died today yet.

She sonido'd as fast as she could to Ulquiorra's room. He was probably pissed he'd had to wait. When she'd asked Apache how long ago he'd come, she only vaguely replied that it had been a while.

Damn. Damn dammit damn!

She found his door and knocked on it, still panting.

A moment later, the door opened. Ulquiorra only blinked when he saw her there.

"Yeah, yeah, I know, I'm late, but I had to go do something," rushed Seren. She raised her hands in defense.

"I'm not going to stab you," Ulquiorra replied dryly. He walked past her. "Let's go."

Seren turned around and followed.

It took even less time than usual to get to Aizen's, partly because Seren's sonido had improved and were faster. The other part was because Ulquiorra went faster than normal. He was probably worried about Aizen too.

"We're here." The usual announcement, and they went in.

This time, not just Aizen was there, but also Szayel and the other two shinigami, Seren noted. Gin and Tousen.

"Ah, you're here Seren-chan." Aizen smiled. "It's good to see you."

Seren was really getting sick of his formalities. She wasn't naïve enough to be fooled by his façade more than once. "Yes. It's also good to see you too."

"Can you remember anything now?"

Seren searched. To her fear, she realized that there was still nothing. What? Why? She had been released. Was there still a seal over her memories?

"No. I'm sorry." She hung her head, ready for more punishment.

Aizen stood up, and she heard his footsteps approach her. Her pulse pounded in her throat. She kept her eyes on the ground.

Then he lifted her face up on his finger to face him. Seren wanted to close her eyes. Why couldn't he leave her alone? When she found who had deleted her memory or screwed with her or whatnot, she was going to slaughter them.

"Why are you so scared, Seren-chan? I'm not going to hurt you." He smiled at her. "So relax. We're just trying to solve this problem. Just try again."

Szayel fixed his glasses again. Seren noted that it was a very nerdy thing to do, and he kept doing it. That made Szayel a nerd. "Her memories might actually have been deleted, not blocked. That device I made was hardwired to unleash blocks. If there is one, it would have been destroyed."

"Try again, Seren." Aizen's eyes were hard and pitiless. His smile was deceptively kind. Seren found herself hating him the more she saw of him; he pretended he was good. At least Ulquiorra or Grimmjow didn't even pretend to be good.

She closed her eyes, focusing. She had to find something. She had to. She searched the environs of her mind, but there was nothing. It was as if everything had been burned. Not even the ashes were left.

Instead, all she could think about was how close Aizen was. She didn't like it. She could feel his cruel reiatsu simmering inches away from her, waiting to hurt her; she could even feel his body heat. And she wished he would let go of her face. It made her uncomfortably aware of how easily he could break it.

Then- something. She caught it.

She remembered being a shinigami. It only came in flashes incomplete; but it was there. She had been a vice captain, from a long time ago. She had been the only shinigami with her ability- to warp time and space. As a result, she flew through school to become accomplished, but she was kept on the backlines because she was weak at attacks, and too valuable to lose. Like an old film, she remembered faces that recalled emotions that had long since healed over. She remembered being attacked by a hollow; the despair that destroyed her as she was, instead of being reborn as a human, a hollow. Then, she had been… attacked again, and changed to an Arrancar, what she is now.

Seren now could only feel how hollow she felt, because she had forgotten what it meant to be whole.

"I was… a hollow…" And then she had been attacked by that someone. Searing pain, and darkness. When she woke up, she found that she was, in fact, an Arrancar, half shinigami. "Somebody attacked me and I transformed into an Arrancar-"

"Who?"

"I.. I don't know, I can't see their face." She kept her eyes closed tightly, trying to see better. "And then I attacked them, and ran away to Hueco Mundo…" She kept searching.

There was nothing else.

"And then that's where the false memories started. I was abandoned in Hueco Mundo with my power and memories sealed." She opened her eyes.

"Ah. I see." Aizen let go of her chin and walked away. Seren almost collapsed with relief. She could start breathing again.

"I wonder who it was, though. There are two people with the knowledge of how to turn a hollow or a shinigami into the other." He held up two fingers. "One, is myself. The other is Urahara Kisuke. Perhaps he was testing on you…?"

"Undoubtedly, she wasn't supposed to live through the test, then," deduced Szayel. "So Urahara decided that he need to dispose of her."

"But why would he leave her alive?" Tousen spoke for the first time.

"Maybe she was just too cute to kill." Gin grinned.

It was unnerving that Seren couldn't see his eyes through his bangs.

"Hmm… I'll have to think about this. And," he turned and looked at Ulquiorra. "Until I say so, I want you to keep Seren under you. Watch her."

Seren's heart skipped a beat. What? More importantly, why? She'd told him everything…

Except one. She wouldn't tell him how she could remember her life before being a hollow. She didn't want him to know that.

It would probably lead to testing and experiments. Seren shuddered thinking about it.

Ulquiorra's eyes widened just for a second, then he nodded. "As you wish, Aizen-sama." He looked at Seren, and then strode out the door.

Seren looked at Aizen, back to Ulquiorra, and then turned and ran after Ulquiorra.


	14. Released

**Chapter Fourteen:**

**Released**

It was dark when they got out, and pale moonlight streamed through the windows as the two of them ran through the halls.

Seren picked at her nails as she followed Ulquiorra. Had Aizen known that she was keeping something from her? Is that why he had put her under surveillance by Ulquiorra? Halibel's rooms had actually almost begun to feel like home.

But, she guessed she didn't have one. Not now that she knew her past.

It made her ache. Seren now could only feel how hollow she felt now, because she had forgotten what it felt like to be whole.

She felt something wet falling from her eyes and rolling down her face. She wiped it away and looked at her hands.

It was a tear. Tears were falling down her face. She was crying.

Seren blinked at her hand, not believing.

She hadn't cried in over one hundred years, surely. She hadn't had something worth crying about in a hundred years.

But the shock of today was enough to spring leaks in her neat and tidy control.

She stopped, just feeling the tears roll down her face. It felt so strange and alien. Why was she doing this?

Emotions were useless. They only hurt in the end.

But she couldn't block them, not any longer. She leaned against the wall, sobbing quietly. She wished she could go back to her shinigami life. It was a powerful sense of nostalgia; she wanted to go home to her friends and family; she wanted to go back to her captain, her house, and just stay there forever. They were probably all dead, though. Her heart shook in her chest. Of course they were.

She was dead, a hollow. She had no home to return to.

A lost bird.

A lost swallow trying to be a hawk, fighting to get out of its cage, the only home it had, to go back to a home that no longer existed.

Wow. She felt sick. She sank to her knees, and stayed there, letting the tears fall.

Patter, patter. Seren looked up. She hadn't noticed the footsteps of Ulquiorra quietly approaching. She had, in fact, entirely forgotten about him.

"You're crying." His feet stopped about a foot away. His hands were in his pockets as he looked down at her.

"I noticed." She hated how she sounded, congested and shaky as she tried to suppress her hiccups. She punched her sternum, hoping it would make it stop.

Ulquiorra stayed there. It was making Seren nervous.

"Um… y-you can l-l-leave, you know. I kn-n-now where your room is." She stuttered in between gasps.

"I can't do that. I'm supposed to watch over you." He replied evenly.

"Well, you have a while." She retorted. She wanted him gone, just a moment to herself. Then she could compose herself. She knew what he was thinking. Weak, emotional, trash.

Screw that. It's not her fault her eyes weren't working right.

Dammit.

The footsteps came closer, until Ulquiorra was right next to her. "We need to go."

"Leave me alone." She muttered stubbornly.

There was a rustle of his jacket as he bent over, picked her up effortlessly, and sonido'ed away.

"Let me down," Seren grumped. He didn't.

She tried again to compose herself. She choked off her hiccups, and tensed her body's shivering. She wanted Ulquiorra to put her down. She wanted to argue with him, yet…

She was too tired to even try to protest. Her head leaned against Ulquiorra's chest, as his stride gently rocked her to dozing. Her eyelids fluttered. She didn't want to sleep, not just yet…

The moon was high in the sky by the time Ulquiorra got to his room. It was silent, cold, and empty as usual. But it didn't bother him at all; it fit him perfectly.

He'd considered leaving Seren in her room, but he knew that Aizen wanted him to put her under constant guard. Seren couldn't be trusted. She was too rebellious, unruly, and mysterious. Her story was shaky; she'd probably made it up.

But the past wasn't where her worth was. It was in the future.

Her powers of time and space traveling had never been seen before in Hueco Mundo. There had been one shinigami with such a power, but it had died with her. So Aizen had thought.

But there had been rumors of a hollow in the desert who could create portals and disappear at will; a strange power. Aizen had wanted to investigate it; if it were real, he would have perhaps the most powerful tool possible in his hands.

The past was a powerful thing, and Seren's abilities had gone beyond his own expectations: she could change the past, and affect the future. That alone, as the last one of her kind, made her irreplaceable.

Of course she was going to be guarded constantly. He would have to lock the door when he left tomorrow. Nnoitra had to be kept away from her.

He placed Seren carefully on the couch. She was already sound asleep, the tears still drying on her face.

What a curious thing. An hollow, crying.

Ridiculous. He despised it; emotions were outside an Arrancar's pattern. And she had been breaking rules since the moment he had met her. He disliked her for it.

Ulquiorra looked out the window. The full moon reigned in the black sky; not even a single star stood to rival it. The moonlight was soft as it cascaded in through the windows; it made the room seem even lonelier.

His eyes followed the light. It slid down the couch arm, to be reflected on Seren's pale face, illuminating her high cheekbones and tilted eyes. Her hair waved around her face loosely, out of its braid and scattered over the couch, smelling of sweet lavender.

Ulquiorra swept a stray strand of hair out of her face, surprised as her did so. He felt something strange stir inside him.

She was beautiful.

He disliked her for it.


	15. Ulquiorra Emo Eskimo Man

Okay everyone, to make up for my fail with the computer (DX) i've decided to upload an additional two chapters today for you viewing pleasure! and yes, i don't have anything better to do.

i love the name of this chapter. ulquiorra emo eskimo man, lol.

btw, apparently i've reached the document manager upload limit or something, so i had to delete a couple chapters or something to add sixteen on. anybody have any idea what that means?? plz help the computerally challenged!

**Chapter Fifteen:**

**Ulquiorra Emo Eskimo Man **

Seren's eyelids flipped open. There was daylight streaming in through the window, lighting up the room. She rubbed her head, tiredly; she had a massive headache. The girl sat up, and looked around.

She was in an unfamiliar room, with two chairs, a couch, and one window high in the corner. Oh wait- she did recognize it.

She was in Ulquiorra's room.

Oh. Damn.

She started. "Eek!" She fell over clumsily, and hit the ground. She hit her head on the floor with a loud thump. Groaning, she rubbed the back of her head.

Oh. She'd been sleeping on a couch. She stumbled up.

She decided to look around. She walked along leisurely, realizing that this would be her new home.

There were two rooms that she could see, that was all, she noted, looking through the rooms. The place was pretty much bare and simple, having only necessities. There were actually three rooms, she found. One was a bathroom, the other two living rooms.

She went into the bathroom, looked at her haggard, red-eyed appearance, and thought, dang. She looked like she'd had a bad night.

And on top of it, she was cold. It was freezing the room, and to her dismay, found there were no blankets. Well, of course it didn't bother Ulquiorra Emo Eskimo Man, but it did bother her, the mortal. She rubbed her shoulders.

Maybe she could borrow one of his jackets, just to put over her shoulders. He wouldn't mind, right? She found his closet, pulled one off the hook- noting that they were all neat, in a row, and exactly alike- and put it on.

Ah. That was better. It was cold, but it still offered comfort.

She wandered back to the couch, and lay down. She wondered what had happened last night- and oh.

She must have fallen asleep on Ulquiorra.

WHY?! Why?! Why was she always doing awkward things like that?!

She wanted to go bang her head against the wall, but decided she'd already had enough brain damage for one 24-hour period.

Then there was a faint knock. Huh? Seren turned around. Someone was here-

BAM! The door went flying as a foot punched it off its hinges. Seren's jaw dropped, as she watched the door fly across the room and slam into the opposite wall.

Who had the guts to do that to ULQUIORRA'S room?

Of course. It was none other than Grimmjow.

"ULQUIORRA!" He roared, stomping into the room. "Where are you, dammit?"

"He's not here," Seren yelled. "And why did you bust in here like that, anyways?"

It was then Grimmjow noticed her. He looked her up and down, and his jaw dropped.

"Wow! You and Ulquiorra, really? I wasn't even aware Ulquiorra was male."

Seren almost choked on her own tongue. "You IDIOT! Get your mind out of the gutter! I'm here because Aizen doesn't want me running around, and Ulquiorra, being his faithful guard dog, is following it down the last letter!"

"Then why are you wearing his jacket?"

"Haven't you noticed it feels sub arctic in here?" She put her hands on her hips. "You're an idiot."

"You're too noisy. I should rip your mouth off your face." He strode over to her. "Do you know where he went, anyways?"

"No. He was gone when I woke up." She looked up at him. "I'd slap you if you were a little shorter, jerk. You could have just waited for me to get the door."

He grinned at her wolfishly. "Yeah. You can reach Ulquiorra's face to slap him, though. You should try it. But not me."

Seren gritted her teeth. "I could always just kick you between the legs again. You seemed to like that last time."

"You should talk. You were literally on top of me yesterday." He countered.

"YOU… BASTARD! You know that was an accident!" She tried to punch him, but he dodged easily.

"You're fun to tease, you know." He smiled even wider.

"I should stab you with Fuerda and laugh while you bleed to death," Seren suggested.

"I could just call Nnoitra over here. Ulquiorra isn't here to save your ass this time, and Nnoitra's really horny for you."

"You really are one son of a bitch, you know that?"

"You're one stubborn bitch. What else is new?"

Seren was furious. She knew he was getting his kicks out of this. But she didn't want him calling over Nnoitra.

She hated that guy. Both of them, actually.

"Well then. Ulquiorra's not here. You can leave now." She turned around and marched right back to the couch. She was still tired.

She lied down on the couch, rolled over on her side and tried to wrap Ulquiorra's jacket around her like a blanket.

It didn't work. It was too short.

She decided that the first thing she was going to do when she went to get her stuff from Halibel's was get blankets. Did she even have anything there? Oh well. She could just take it anyways. Nobody would miss it, right? And while she was at it, why not grab some bubble bath? Chances were Ulquiorra didn't have any.

And if he did… well… that was creepy.

She closed her eyes against those images. "I don't get cable, I don't get cable," she muttered, shaking her head.

Then she opened her eyes and looked straight up into Grimmjow's face.

"AAACK!" She fell off the couch. She rubbed her head, face blushing furiously, embarrassed; it didn't help that Grimmjow was laughing his head off at her.

"You creeper. Why are you still here?" She growled.

"Well, I'm bored. And you're usually doing something interesting." He was shameless.

"Like what? I assume falling off the couch entertains you?"

"No, but mumbling to yourself and THEN falling off the couch, yes." He grinned. "The look on your face was priceless."

"Shoving my foot up your ass right now would be priceless," Seren muttered.

"What did you say?"

Seren stood up, walked over to him, and jutted her chin out. "I said," she pronounced, "that shoving my _foot _up your _ass_ would be priceless."

He paused for a minute. Then he burst out laughing. "Ah ha!" He said. "Is that the best you can do? Are you honestly trying to threaten me, the sixth Espada, while you aren't enough strong enough to even be a decent fraccion? I feel sooo threatened."

Eyebrow twitch. Seren bit her lip, raised her leg, and stomped on his foot as hard as she could.

There was a sickening crack. Then silence. Neither said anything for a minute.

Seren raised her eyebrows, wondering if she had done anything.

"AACK!" Grimmjow yelled. "You BITCH! That HURT!" He started hopping up and down.

"Yeah, that's right," Seren nodded. "Don't piss off short people. We have access to everything that hurts."

"I should kill you for this, you little witch!" Grimmjow hissed.

"Ha. And then Aizen would fry you for a snack." She put her hands on her hips. "I win this one, just admit it. And close the door behind you on your way out."

She strode away in what she hoped was a dramatic fashion, shaking her hair, straight-backed, hips swaying.

Then she tripped.

She watched as her feet slipped out from under her, and she crashed chest first into the floor.

Grimmjow, still clutching his foot, started laughing hysterically again. "HA! Ha ha ha, oh that's good." He stood up and wiped a tear from his eye. "Really, you are too much."

"YOU'RE the one that's too much!" Seren yelled from the ground. "You should just leave now!"

"What, before you end up seriously hurting yourself? Yeah, that floor definitely looks dangerous." But Grimmjow had already turned to leave, and was walking out the door.

"Yeah. And you are just as much of an ass as I first thought, only more!" Seren yelled after his retreating back.


	16. Blue Hair Does Not Look Good on Anyone

lolll. i love seren, i'm sorry. she's so funny.

always getting into the wrong situations!!

**Chapter Sixteen:**

**Blue Hair Does Not Look Good on Anyone**

The door cracked open. Seren, who had been dozing, cracked open an eyelid. Whoever it was made almost no noise, probably trying to sneak past her, thinking she was sleeping.

She knew who it was. "Go back to your hole, Grimmjow!" She yelled from the couch. When no answer came, she turned around. "I thought I told you to leave-!"

Ulquiorra was at the doorway, looking at the door smashed against the wall, and at her with something like anger. Seren's jaw dropped.

WHY?! Why?? Why!!

"I-I'm sorry! Please forgive me! I thought you were Grimmjow!" She stumbled off the couch, almost falling. She stood up dusting herself off. "I'm sorry, uum…" Ulquiorra started walking towards her, hands in pockets, his usual expression of pitilessness on his face. Seren started sweating. "-I'll go bow on the floor and beg for forgiveness or something-"

Ulquiorra walked right past her. "We're going to get your things from your old room." He didn't even pause.

Typico Ulquiorra. Never even missing a step.

"Uh- yeah, okay, I'll go… do that…" Seren pointed at the doorway, confused. Wasn't he at least worried about what had been going on with Grimmjow?

Oh no. Now Grimmjow had even her mind in the gutter. Damn Blue Hair. And blue hair doesn't even look good on anyone!

It was then she noticed that there was a slight burn mark on the sleeve of Ulquiorra's jacket. Oh. So, he'd been on a mission for Aizen. At least it hadn't involved capturing her- again. She didn't care what anyone said, Ulquiorra was damn scary.

When they reached her room, all Seren heard was several screams from the inside.

"Omigod, it's Seren!" Mila Rose shrieked.

"Oh, shut up. She probably spent the night in somebody else's room." Apache.

"Oh, I know. Wow, she actually struck me as pretty clean, not that type-" Mila Rose.

That's all Seren needed to hear. She kicked the door open, fuming.

"Yes, people, I'm here, and no, I was not busy out sleeping around." She gritted her teeth and stormed into her room. The sooner she had her stuff and was out, the better.

But of course, that was too much to hope for.

Mila Rose, Apache, and Sunsun followed her, bombarding her with questions: "What happened? Where were you? Why is *whisper* _Ulquiorra_ here?"

"The way it works is, Aizen doesn't trust me, so he's put me under 24/7 watch. Ulquiorra's my new 'guardian,' if you will." She picked up her blankets, pillows, and as many shampoo bottles as she could grab.

"Hey!" Mila Rose grabbed them from Seren's hand. "Where do you think you're going with all our good stuff?"

"Um, you're not honestly going to sentence me to drab hair? Who even KNOWS what Ulquiorra has in his bathroom…" She tried puppy eyes on Mila Rose, hoping it would work.

"Why sure we can," Sunsun giggled from behind her sleeve.

Seren fought the urge to slap her. Uncaring witch.

Mila Rose sighed, and put her hand to her forehead like she was doing some amazing act of charity. "Well, I suppose you could have this…"

Seren grabbed the bottles from her. "Wow, really? Thank you, thank you!" She walked out to where Ulquiorra was waiting. Then she paused. "But wait," she asked, turning around. "I thought you guys didn't like me."

Mila Rose and Apache looked different ways. Sunsun laughed.

"We don't," she said simply.

"I bet they poisoned it or something," Seren muttered to herself on the way back. She shook the bottles, looking for traces of dissolved mercury. "Definitely," she pronounced when she didn't find anything.

"You weren't supposed to tell them about why you were moving," Ulquiorra said.

Seren blinked. Then she gritted her teeth. "They're as close to friends as I have in this whole castle. They have a right to know." "What does having a right to know have to do with friends?"

"Um… well, with friends, they're supposed to care about you. And if they care, you should tell them about what's happening so they don't worry."

"What makes you think they care?"

Seren paused. "Because I wish that they do. So I might as well pretend that they do, and hope they fall for it. And if not, I can deceive myself. I feel better on the inside."

"I have no idea what you're getting at."

"Of course not."


	17. Chompy

Hey people! good news! i've been favorited more, so i'm sooooooo happy, hello cloud ten- nine isn't high enough! :D

also, sorry about the wait. it's been two days- it's long for me- and to make up for it, here are two new chapters, and eighteen is pretty long. hooray!

**Chapter Seventeen:**

**Chompy**

When they arrived at Ulquiorra's room, he sensed something was off. He motioned for her to stop, then opened the door.

"Umm, what's wrong?"

"Something's in here."

"Oh, really? I don't see anything." Seren tried to look over the pile of blankets she had in her arms.

"I can sense its' reiatsu." Ulquiorra stepped cautiously in the room. Then he saw something- a small white tail under the couch. It crawled out from under it, snarling and grunting. It was a small, lizard-like mini hollow. It was eating a hole out of Ulquiorra's jacket, which Seren had left behind.

Ulquiorra raised his finger and fired a cero at it.

"EEEK! NO!"

In a second, Seren dropped her blankets, flashed over to the hollow, and deflected Ulquiorra's cero. It bounced off her hand, whizzed inches past Ulquiorra's face, outside the door, to explode against the wall, carving a huge hole in the wall.

Ulquiorra blinked once.

"What are you doing?"

Seren sweated. "Umm… um.. I was… um.."

"You're defending that trash?" His cruel green eyes focused on Seren.

"Yeah. So?" She picked it up and hugged it tight.

"Give it to me so that I may destroy it." He held out his hand, waiting.

"N-no!" Seren shrieked, and she hugged the hollow creature close to her chest. "Never! I won't do it, I won't!"

"Stop being stubborn and hand it over. Why do you bother with something weak like that anyways?"

Seren pursed her lips in a pout. "Because it's cute."

A stray wind whistled mournfully between them.

"How idiotic."

"I think he's adorable."

"You do know that it only likes you because it can easily feed off your reiatsu?"

"No that's not true-" CHOMP. Seren froze mid-syllable. She looked at her hand, and sure enough, the hollow had its mouth clamped around her finger, hanging from her hand. Seren shook her hand. "Hey, little fella, bad! Let go!" It stubbornly held on, only grunting in response to the shaking.

She looked at Ulquiorra, and she could almost swear he had a smug look on his face.

"Ah, haha, this?" She waved her hands. "He's just hungry. He won't bite me again, I'll train him!" She pulled it off her finger. "Bad!" She shook her finger at it.

CHOMP. It bit her other hand. "OWWCH!" Seren shrieked. "BAD CHOMPY!" She waved her hand around. "Let go! Can't you see you're not helping my case for your life?"

"Vermin should be exterminated," Ulquiorra said. But he was already walking away. Seren smiled widely.

"So I get to keep him?!"

"Just don't let it eat any more of my clothes."

Seren looked at the jacket. There was now a large bite out of the shoulder.

Oh. He was probably pretty pissed about that.

"I-I'm sorry!" She called. "It was really cold, so I put one of your jackets on-"

"Don't touch them again."

Yep, he was angry.

"Um… can I go out?" Seren was sitting on the floor, playing with her pet hollow. It had a skull for a face, its mask, and a small hole in its chest. It had a purple lizard like body, and clawed feet. It had vertebrae bones lining its spine. Seren petted it and lifted it up, throwing it and catching it.

"Why?" Ulquiorra was resting on the couch.

"I… I wanted to get a ball or stick or something for Chompy!"

"Chompy…?"

"That's his name, Chompy." She lifted Chompy up and cooed at it.

"No."

"What?! Why?!"

"Because you'll get yourself in trouble. Why do you want to get something for that trash anyways?"

"Because he's adorable! Look how lonely he looks!" She thrust Chompy in Ulquiorra's face. Ulquiorra blinked at him once.

"You consider drooling and stupidity adorable?"

Seren cried out and hugged her pet to her chest. "You just have no heart to feel compassion for the less fortunate! But it's okay, I will watch out for you, Chompy. Mommy will protect you forever, yes, yes, yes!" She kissed it on the head lovingly. "Mwa!"

Ulquiorra resisted to urge to roll his eyes and then cero the stupid trash. Which one, he didn't know.

"I love you, Chompy." Seren said to her pet.

Ulquiorra blinked. That surprised him.

Love? There was no such thing. And if he didn't know himself better, he could have sworn he felt a twinge of pain in his heart.

But he knew better. He had no heart.

"UUUUHH…. I'M SOOOOOO BORED." Seren moaned. "Ulquiorra, why don't you have anything interesting to do in your room?"

"I'm usually out of it, so it doesn't matter."

"Why don't you at least have any fraccion to talk to?"

"I don't need any."

"How come you're so hard to talk to!" "I don't want to talk to you."

Seren stuck her tongue out. "Screw you," she muttered. "At least _you_ still love me, right?" She rolled Chompy over on its belly. She gave it a belly rub. "Yes, yes you do. My little cutie pie."

Something strange twisted in Ulquiorra again.

It was a small pain in his chest, right where his hole was.

How strange.

He wanted her gone, suddenly. This stupid girl was putting too much into question. "Very well. You may go, but be back before it is dark. If you aren't, you will not be let out again."

Seren looked up, surprised. "O-oh?! Really?" She jumped up, excited. "Oh, yeah, yes, I'll definitely be back! C'mon, Chompy!" She grabbed her strange lizard hollow pet and swiftly sonido'ed out the door.


	18. Bleeding Hearts Er, Holes

well, the title to this chapter was originally bleeding hearts and bleeding holes, then i thought, well... that sounds like some kind of pervy statement... so i changed it.

plz people, i really am NOT a pervert. also, today, you all get to meet the aforementioned Kimi! Yay!

**Chapter Eighteen:**

**Bleeding Hearts… Er, Holes**

Seren sped along the hallways, grasping at all the fresh air that flowed in her lungs. Free! If only for a little bit, free!

"Whoohoo! Doesn't that feel nice, Chompy?" She lifted it up, and the thing only drooled. "Gee, you sure are quiet. All you do is drool and grunt," Seren said.

"ARGH!" Seren stopped in her tracks. She'd heard a girl screaming. She looked around; it had come from down the hallway to the left.

"Hm… Let's go see what it is, Chompy." She turned on her heel and ran down the hallway.

What she found raised her blood.

There was one small Arrancar girl backed against a wall, surrounded by a semicircle of seven laughing Arrancars. There were two women and five men, all of whom looked considerably stronger than the girl.

"Leave me alone!" She called out. There was a large bruise on the side of her face.

"Oh yes, listen to that trash!" One of the men joked and he pushed the girl down. She tumbled on the ground. "What a stupid slut!"

"Oh yes. I think we should just put her out of her misery!" Suggested one of the women.

"Such a weakling!" Agreed the other.

"What should we do to her?" Asked one of the males.

"You won't be doing anything!" Seren's voice rang out down the hall. The gang of Arrancars looked up at her, just as surprised as she was.

Seren wanted to kick herself. WHY?! Why?! Why was she always getting herself into crap like this?!

Oh well. The die has been cast.

She strode down the hall. "Leave her alone." The girl on the floor looked up at her, surprised; her eyes were begging her to help her- or leave.

"Yeah, right. You think you can take on all of us? How arrogant!"

"I'll kill you! You bitch!" Yelled one of the women.

Seren's eyebrow twitched. She really didn't want to fight them. This could very well end badly-

The first woman pulled out her sword. "I'll kill you!"

As if on cue, all of the Arrancar attacked at once.

"Damn," was all Seren said. Then she dodged to the side.

A rain of attacks fell on where she had just been. "Well, that's overkill!" She said, just before a sword sliced off part of her bangs. One of the women were there, smirking.

"Bitch."

"Whore. ROKU!"

The woman was thrown hard against the wall as the lightning got her head-on. The wall cracked behind her, and her head lolled to the side, unconscious.

Seren turned around, and grabbed a sword before it got her in the back, and grabbed the wrist of its wielder, and heartlessly broke it.

Of course! She could remember her life as a vice captain- this was nothing next to some of the battles she remembered!

Seren laughed wildly, enjoying the heat of battle.

She spun around, jumping above another sword slash, and kicked the face of the Arrancar who had attacked her.

She touched ground again, before diving to the side. The cero missed her eyes by inches.

Seren pulled out Fuerda, and started fighting, viciously, wildly. Her heart pumped, the adrenaline flowed, and she couldn't have loved it more.

A punch. A kick. Dive, dodge. Shoot lightning. Parry, thrust. Blow flame. She only saw blurs and swords and hands, no faces.

She fought with all her might and speed, and when she stopped, she found that she had knocked out five of them, and only two Arrancar remained left.

They looked at her shocked. "H-how?"

"Hmm…I suggest you leave."

"Like hell, you BITCH!" One of them screamed, and charged. Seren jumped above him, and landed on his head, successfully knocking him out.

He hit the tile floor with a resounding bang.

"One more," she said, smiling at the remaining Arrancar.

"Y-you-!"

"Seren." Seren's breath caught in her throat. She spun around.

It was Ulquiorra.

"Seren, you're late." He was angry, she could tell. She looked around, surprised. Oh, yep. It was dark again.

The remaining Arrrancar took his chance and fled down the hallway.

"Ul-ulquiorra-sama?" The girl stuttered, suddenly more afraid of him than the other Arrancar.

"Oh, Ulquiorra… I was…"

"Defending that trash?" Ulquiorra looked at the girl on the floor.

"She's not trash." Seren had actually forgotten all about her in the heat of battle. She turned around and helped her up.

Ulquiorra looked around at the six Arrancar bodies that were scattered around the hallway. "Did you do all this?"

"They're just knocked out. They should be fine. And there were seven, but the other one took the high road." She jabbed her thumb behind her. She looked around. "Wait, where's Chompy?!"

"H-here, miss." The girl was holding him. She'd been protecting him the whole time as Seren fought the Arrancar.

Seren smiled. "Thank you." She picked up Chompy. "Ooh, my little baby, that was probably so scared," she cooed, smooching its head, "but you were in good hands." She turned around and looked at the girl. "You're pretty beat up. I think you should come with me. Those guys will be back with a vengeance."

"No, it's okay. They'll stay away from me for a while. I think you cowed them entirely." She rubbed the back of her head nervously.

Seren turned around. Oh yeah, Ulquiorra was there.

"Yeah, sorry about this… but I was busy… and…"

"Only trash defend the weak," he said.

That ticked her off. Seren was so sick of his superiority complex! "Are you kidding?! You, on your little sand pile of perfection? The only trash are those that don't defend those that need help!"

His sword was at her throat in an instant.

"Something you should remember, woman. I can kill you without needing to blink." Seren's pulse froze. Ice flowed in her veins, replacing blood. Oh, no. What was he going to do? How could she calm him down? Apologize?

But he let up. "You're coming back with me."

"No!" Seren's mouth opened of its own accord, as usual.

WHY?! Why?! Why couldn't her mouth just stay shut?!

"Let me finish what I started." She looked at the girl. "Let me get her help."

Ulquiorra looked at her again.

Once again, that strange pain in his chest. It was like having hot needles stabbed through him. It hurt.

He wanted her gone. He wanted this girl gone forever.

She hurt him.

"Fine. But you are to come straight back." He turned around and left.

The girl stumbled behind Seren, who was carrying Chompy.

"You didn't have to do all that for me, you know!" She said.

"Huh?" Seren turned around, confused. "Well, I did, and that's that."

The girl looked confused. Well, not quite girl- now that Seren had a better look at her, she looked about seventeen, not a girl. She was just short, that's all. She had vibrant orange hair with golden blonde streaks and freckles. Her eyes were yellow, and she had thick, dark eyebrows.

She was beautiful. Well, that probably explained why those two female Arrancar had wanted to attack her. For a moment Seren almost felt the coiling of envy in her gut, then she heartlessly shoved it out of her mind.

She was better than that.

"Why did you do that?"

"Umm…" Seren tried to think of something to say. She couldn't tell her she remembered being a shinigami and love, or pity and empathy. "Umm… see, I, uh…"

"It's okay. I should just shut up and be grateful. I know." She looked at the ground again as they started to whiz down the hallways.

"What's your name? I'm Seren." Seren asked.

"Kimi. Kimi Utara."

"Aah. Pretty name, probably why those Arrancar women were mad at you."

"No, it's because… I'm weak… and new."

"Ah, the new kid on the block. That's never easy."

"But I'm still too weak. I wish I was stronger."

"Don't wish for that." Seren spat. "That's wishing for the ability to kill more people, faster. Besides, if I were surrounded by seven Arrancar, I'd probably be weak too."

"But you weren't."

"Ah, but that's not the point."

"Where are we going?"

"To somebody's who I think we can trust. I don't want those guys coming after you again."

"Why didn't you kill them?"

"Well, that was none of my business. For all I know, you could have been some instigator or have slept with the two women's boyfriends, who then realized you cheated on _them_ and they brought their friends to get revenge."

"What?!"

"Umm… never mind…" Seren started laughing. Wow! That was funny. She started laughing even louder and harder, and clutched at her stomach. It felt good to laugh, and she hadn't done it in so long!

"Um… are you okay? Seren-sama!" Kimi was getting nervous. "What did I do?"

"Oh, nothing, it was just funny. It was probably actually better that you didn't hear that," Seren replied.

"But whose place are we going to?"

"A last resort," replied Seren. She didn't even know if he would agree, but she had a better chance with him than Ulquiorra…

They stopped at Grimmjow's rooms.

"Hang on." Seren almost considered knocking on the door.

Nah. He was probably sleeping.

She kicked the door down and knocked it off its hinges with a loud rip. There was a loud bang as it slammed into the ground.

"Grimmjow! I need you!" She called out, while Kimi quaked behind her.

"Y-you knocked down the sexta's door! What if he kills you?" Kimi shrieked.

"He won't. I'm pretty sure, anyways." Seren strode in through the door. "Yo, Grimmjow!"

"What the hell?!" Grimmjow roared as he came in. Then he did a double take as he saw Seren. "What are YOU doing here?!"

"There's someone I need to clean up and I need you to watch her for me."

"Why would I do that for YOU?!"

"Because if not I will… do something… bad?"

"Umm, it's okay Seren-sama! I'll be just fine!" Kimi started backing up from the Espada. Poor girl. Two Espadas in the space of an hour, she was probably terrified. "You don't need to get yourself killed by Grimmjow-sama for my sake!" She pulled on Seren's sleeve. "We should go!"

"Damn straight, you should leave right now, before I rip your head off your throat!" Oh, so Grimmjow was in a bad mood today.

Whoops.

"Just let me use your bathroom so I can clean her up." She pulled Kimi behind her and charged into the bathroom.

"Hey! I never said you could do anything!" Grimmjow yelled.

"Thanks!" Seren called behind her shoulder.

In the bathroom (which was unbelievably messy, of course), Seren washed a towel with cold water. Chompy grunted as he investigated the counter, looking for something to eat. "Let me see your face. And, ah, your arm too…"

Kimi's shoulder had a gash in it, and dried blood stained her uniform. She had on long hakatama pants and a jacket with a high collar and long sleeves.

"Take off the shirt. It's okay, I'm completely straight and a girl, don't worry." She smiled at Kimi.

"But what about Grimmjow-sama-"

"Don't worry about him. I'll kick his head in so hard that he won't remember a thing." Kimi obeyed, and Seren cleaned out her wounds, tsking all the time.

"Such mean creatures! Really."

"But Seren-sama, _your_ shoulder-" Kimi started.

"Huh?" Seren looked at her arm. There was a harsh burn on it. "Oh, ha, this? I didn't even feel it. Haha, see?" She rolled her shoulder- only to realize it did hurt.

Oh snap!

"Whatever, I'll heal soon. You good?"

"Y-yeah… but do I have to really spend the night in… his quarters?" She looked out the door, like expecting Grimmjow to appear suddenly.

"Yes. And if you don't, I will find you!" Seren wagged a finger childishly at Kimi. Kimi looked at her hand, and started giggling quietly.

"Oh, ok. As long as he doesn't try to kill me or anything bad…"

"Oh, that. Yeah, let me go set him straight on that. Watch Chompy. Wait here." Seren strode out the door, leaving Kimi behind holding Chompy, looking after her worriedly.

Grimmjow turned around. "All right, you have some explaining to do, woman!"

"Ahh, yeah, sorry about that. She just needs a place to stay for the night. There was this vicious gang of Arrancar beating her up, and-"

"You saved her right?" Grimmjow almost looked smug. "You and your dumb bleeding heart."

"Umm… bleeding hole. We don't have hearts, remember?"

"You do." Grimmjow turned to look the other way. "So… for this, what are you going to do for me?"

"What?"

"It's not fair if I let her stay here and you don't do anything for me."

"Well, sure. What do you want me to do? I can clean this place up." She looked around. "It could certainly use it. Really, Grimmjow-"

That's when Grimmjow grabbed her face and kissed her.

Seren shrieked behind his lips. Her heart was pumping bullets as his mouth moved against hers. She slapped Grimmjow's hand, but he was too strong; he wouldn't let go!

Finally, she kicked him in the knee with all the force in her body.

"OWCH!" He let go, and rubbed his knee.

Seren stood up, fists clenched at her sides. "You… you PERV!" She huffed angrily, her face blushing wildly. "Why is EVERYONE here like that?!" Seren wiped her mouth vigorously. "What the hell, Grimmjow?!"

"It's probably because you're cute." He grinned at her wolfishly.

"Am I supposed to take that as a compliment?! Keep your lips off me!"

"You liked it, admit it."

"Did you totally miss me smacking at your hands as you FORCED me?"

Grimmjow didn't even bother to look ashamed. "Well, that was payback enough. I'll take care of the girl. You can go, that was worth it."

He was laughing about it, hysterically, dammit!

"Gr-Grimmjow, you BASTARD!" Seren shrieked. She grabbed Chompy and stormed out of the room, calling out to Kimi that she could stay over her shoulder.

When Seren got back, she tried to calm herself down. It was just a kiss, and quick one too. It was just a kiss- STOLEN! That bastard would pay when she got back tomorrow!

Oh. That's right. Ulquiorra. She gulped. _If _she got back.

Seren walked in through the door, making a mental note to get a new door. The room looked empty- but, oh. She could only see his back, but Ulquiorra was standing by the window.

"Seren."

Oh, damn.

"Yes, Ulquiorra?"

Damn, damn, dammit. This was bad.

She set Chompy down. "You should probably leave now," she whispered to it. "You don't want to see this."

Chompy simply grunted and waddled away.

"You're pissed, right? I'm sorry, I just lost track of… time?"

Instead of an answer, Ulquiorra turned around and strode towards Seren, his eyes burning into hers.

Seren felt her knees start shaking again. She wanted to close her eyes against his fury. But no. She mustn't lose any ground.

Ulquiorra stopped, inches from her. "I allow you some freedom, and you go and disobey me." His face didn't even change, but his eyes simmered.

Seren winced like she was being hit. He wanted to kill her, and ironically, again, it was Aizen protecting her.

Why?! Why?! Why couldn't she just be good instead of always getting into trouble?

"I'm sorry… Ulquiorra." Her nails bit worriedly into her palms. Her tendons flexed under her skin. She braced herself to be hit.

"…You think I'm going to hit you?" Ulquiorra's anger alleviated, a little. It was replaced by slight surprise.

"Aren't you?"

"…"

"Exactly. Just go ahead and do it, before I have a heart attack."

"You don't have one."

Seren almost smiled. "Oh yeah, forgot that one. My bad. A hole attack." She bit her lip. "I'm sorry, really."

"You hurt your shoulder."

"Yeah… but I think that's it. I guess I earned this one." Why was he talking about this? Wasn't he going to hit her?

"Just don't do it again."

Seren looked up, surprised. She could almost have sworn Ulquiorra's eyes had softened. He was about to turn to go.

Her heart burst with a rush of excitement and release. "R-really!? Thank you, Ulquiorra!" Before her head could take control, she hugged him.

Ulquiorra's eyes widened- there was a scent of lavender at his throat as her head brushed him, a warmth where her body pressed against his, and a light pressure around his back where her arms embraced him- and then it was gone.

It had only been a moment.

Seren's jaw dropped, just as surprised as he was.

"O-oh," she muttered, arms curled over her chest. "I-I'm sorry, that was an accident. I… I won't do it again."

Ulquiorra simply turned away. Seren spun and fled to her room, not even bothering to pretend to hide her shock. There was a quiet slam as she shut her door tight.

And then Ulquiorra noted two things. Her fists had curled in front of her, like he was about to hurt her.

Two, he had turned away from her, but what he had really wanted to say to her was, 'do it again.'

'Don't leave me.'


	19. They Are Not That Bad! Right?

Hello everyone and what is up in the world? I've been really busy lately so I haven't gotten to update (yes, I do have a life outside of ) I just type fast. really fast.

Aaanyways, my friends keep telling me i should be sailor venus for the anime convention...

but i wanna be ruka... i like her outfit better.... oh, decisions, decisions! I wanna win the cosplay contest too, so i don't know what to do!!!

**Chapter Nineteen:**

**They Are Not That Bad! (Right?)**

Seren's eyes fluttered open.

"Oh, no. Morning."

She took a long, hot shower, until steam frosted the mirrors and dew lined the walls. She stepped out of the shower, squeezing her long hair.

"Uh…" she moaned. "I have to go get Kimi. But first…"

She sighed.

It had been a long time since she had seen Halibel's quarters, but the place looked just the same as it ever had.

It felt like… not home. It didn't feel like home, which was what she expected. It felt like visiting an old haunt, like your old school or house. Her home, she realized, was in Ulquiorra's quarters.

Weird.

She smiled widely, with sudden joy as she knocked on the door, and waited.

Mila Rose opened the door, her jaw dropped, and she screamed.

"SEREN!!"

"What?!" She heard resounding voices from inside with equal surprised.

Apache shoved past Mila, and Sunsun peeked over her shoulder.

They both shrieked. "IT'S SEREN!"

Apache jumped and hugged her tight, grabbing Sunsun also (who protested quite loudly) and Mila Rose hugged them all.

"So Nnoitra WHAT?!"

The four of them were sitting with hot tea in their hands as Seren told them about everything that had happened.

Apache was furious. "What a bastard!" She shrieked. "Really! How come you didn't tell us about this before you moved into Ulquiorra's?"

Seren scratched her head. "Um… see, you guys were pretty mean to me. I had this nagging suspicion that you guys would have just found Nnoitra and told him where I was just to get me in trouble. Or Sunsun would, at least."

Sunsun hid her face behind her sleeve, shifting her eyes away.

"Ha! She got you on that one, Sunsun!" Apache laughed.

Mila Rose simply sipped her tea. "I don't know what you're all talking about. I thought Nnoitra was pretty attractive."

Seren spit out her tea. She coughed, wiping her mouth. "WHAT," she coughed, "THE HELL?!"

Mila Rose simply shrugged her shoulders. "He's an Espada. You could do worse."

They all just stared at her.

"What?!" She asked.

"Nevermind," Apache muttered, Sunsun shaking her head.

"Aaaanyways," Seren said. "There is this girl that I rescued from the gang of Arrancars that were beating her up. Seven of them, against one! Can you believe that?" "Yeah," Mila Rose said without pause.

"You fought off seven Arrancar?" Apache asked.

"Yeah. I was surprised, myself. But I just feel like I've done this before. All of my memories must not have all come back," she said.

"Well, you weren't kidding when you said your powers were sealed off. You had a lot more behind you than we thought!" Mila Rose said.

Sunsun raised her eyebrows. "But your suit took a tear in the back."

Seren looked. "Oh, whoops."

"I'll fix it." Sunsun said. "Wear something of Mila's while you do this."

Seren opened her mouth to protest.

"Jeez, we're in our own quarters, no one's gonna see you!" Mila Rose scolded. "Really, you guys, they are NOT THAT BAD."

"YES THEY ARE," everyone reinforced.

By the time Seren managed to struggle out of Halibel's rooms, she'd ended up telling Mila Rose, Apache, and Sunsun everything (more than she'd intended) had her suit fixed, and a promise that she would let them design another outfit for her.

She pulled herself away between hugs and orders to visit them again as soon as she could.


	20. Grimmjow, The Incorrigible Rogue

Haha, I gotta admit, I like this chapter. grimmjow really is one of my fav characters :D

however, seren is so mean. she's so cruel when she rejects people...T.T but she does it with all guys. just you wait till you hear about her former life... yes, it's true. i did right it out. it's like a reaaaaaaaaallly long five chapter flashback, but i personally think it's one of the more interesting parts of the story.

after all, when you can bend space and time, how can things get uninteresting??

**Chapter Twenty: **

**Grimmjow, the Incorrigible Rogue**

When she got to Grimmjow's quarters, she just walked right in (as the door was missing entirely) and looked for Kimi.

"Kimi? Kimi!" She called down the rooms.

"Kimi?!" She turned around the corner.

"Kimiiii!!" She searched the bathroom.

Where was she? Seren walked around, exploring even further. She found a hallway and followed it down, until she heard Kimi screaming from inside one of the rooms.

Seren's eyes popped. Oh, damn.

"KIMII!" She screamed, kicked down the door, pulled out Fuerda, and threw her sword at the nearest Arrancar.

"HEY!" He yelled. "What are you doing here?!"

"Oh snap, another said. "Grimmjow! A crazy lady got lost and ended up in here!"

"Wuh-what?" Seren was shocked. There was a circle of five Arrancar and Kimi, and they were all playing cards. Kimi looked up at her shocked.

"Uh, Seren-sama! What's wrong?"

"I-I uh, I thought when you screamed-"

"You thought I was doing something to her, didn't you?" Grimmjow appeared behind Seren, rubbing his ear. "Jeez, you really do scream really loud."

"Y-you! Well then, why were you screaming, Kimi?" "Oh, haha, sorry." Kimi apologized. "I swear that D-Roy cheated! It's not fair! He's won three games of slapjack in a row! That's not possible!" "You're just jealous that I beat you," snickered one of the Arrancar, who had what looked like a large turban on his head. Seren assumed it was D-Roy.

"Ah, I see. Well, I just came to check up on you. You good?"

"Oh, yeah, yeah! Grimmjow's fraccion are all really cool! Except D-Roy, that dirty cheater…" Kimi muttered.

"I'm not a dirty cheater!" D-Roy yelled back.

Seren sighed. "Well then, I'll be leaving." She turned around. "Grimmjow, move." He was blocking the doorway.

"Hang on. You and I need to talk." He grunted, looking to the side.

Seren grimaced. "Well then. In the other room, now move."

"Ladies first," Grimmjow grinned and did a mock bow.

"Yeah, yeah." Seren shoved past him.

"Yeah!" Seren heard whistles behind her. It was his fraccion! "Woot, woot!" "Go Grimmjow!"

Her eyebrow started twitching. Especially when she saw him giving his fraccion a thumbs up. Her jaw dropped. She was gonna kill him, kill him, kill him…

"Grr, come with me, you! Be serious about this!" She grabbed his ear and yanked him away.

"Ouch, jeez, I'm not supposed to bend over this low!"

"Your own dang problem. Listen, I didn't tell Ulquiorra that I was going out. He probably wouldn't have let me, anyways."

"Where is he?" Grimmjow straightened up. "Damn, you didn't have to grab my ear that hard."

"That's payback for last night. And I think he was out on a mission."

"Don't tell me you're still sore about that. You should get over it."

"Well, now you're making it sound like we did something last night."

"Not as much as I'd've liked."

SMACK! "Shut up, you PERV! You do this with everyone, I bet!" Seren's face burned. She really was getting sick of everyone here. "You sound a heck of a lot like Nnoitra, you know!"

"Shut up. You still owe me."

"For what?!"

"Are you really going to let little Kimi-chan go back those Arrancars again tonight? I didn't think you'd be that cold."

"You're evil. And no funny business. I said I could clean this place up. Aizen knows it could use it." She looked around, pointing out the piles of clothes, cards, messy beds, and other scattered objects.

"I have fraccion to do that!" Grimmjow whined.

"Well, they aren't doing a very good job," Seren observed dryly.

"Of course not. That's what women do."

"Don't be a sexist bastard. I'm very highly tempted to smack you again."

"Hmm… Oh yeah. Except for Ulqiuorra. His room is actually clean. He's the only guy I know who does that. I bet he's a girl, just a little confused…"

"Don't talk so mean about him! He _is_ a guy, just maybe not your definition."

"Oh, and you would know this, right?"

"Get your mind out of the gutter."

"Hm, I think that was your mind in the gutter. I didn't say anything about that."

"I'm sick of this. Can I go now?"

"I want one thing."

"What?"

"A hug."

Seren's eyebrow twitched again. "What the hell, you weirdo?! I just hugged Ulquiorra, and it almost KILLED me!"

"WHAT?!" Grimmjow's mouth opened as wide as possible. "You HUGGED him, freaky emo boy?"

"The one and only."

"HAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAA!" Grimmjow looked like he was being attacked, as he rolled around on the floor, laughing.

"Yeah, yeah, I know, how funny. Go ahead and laugh it off. I know you want to." Seren said sarcastically.

Grimmjow got up, wiping tears from his eyes. "Wow, that takes REAL guts to do that, to Ulquiorra of all things. That's worse than trying to hug Tousen." He shivered. "That creepy blind guy freaks me out."

"Me too." Seren agreed.

"Well, if you can hug Ulquiorra, then I won't be that bad."

"No, you'll be WORSE. You'll probably try to sneak a feel, you freak." Seren's voice dripped with bitterness.

"Well, now that really hurts. You're quite cruel, you know."

"Well, now you sound like Nnoitra."

Grimmjow started walking away, waving behind him. "Well, too bad, I guess poor Kimi's going back to those meaniesss…"

"Grrr," Seren growled. "Fine. But if you hands so much as venture one INCH below my waist, I will kick you so hard between the legs you'll be _effectively neutered_!"

"How cruel."

"I'm not kidding." It almost physically hurt her, but she held out her arms. Grimmjow approached her, and she backed up. He looked confused, then stepped closer, and Seren backed up again.

Wow. Well, this was awkward.

"You know what, Seren? Forget it!" Grimmjow felt actually hurt. Most Arrancar women actually liked it when he was rough, but this Seren wouldn't forgive him.

Or let him forget.

He strode away angrily, leaving Seren standing, shocked.

"Wait!" She called out behind him.

Grimmjow sighed, and turned around. "What?"

She walked over. "Okay." She wrapped her arms around his chest and hugged him, gently.

Just for a moment.

Before Grimmjow could do anything (or rather, try anything) she let go and was already out the door.

Leaving him watching her, forlorn, surprised, and suddenly very lonely.

Seren sped to the room, praying to whatever ruled fate that Ulquiorra wasn't back yet. She may have gotten away last night (by the merest of hairs) but this one would be the straw that broke the camel's back.

Thankfully, he wasn't.

Without a second thought, she changed to her nightgown and tried to make it look like she had been sleeping the whole time.

When Ulquiorra came back, he noticed two things: one, the door he'd asked for hadn't arrived yet. Two, Seren was still asleep.

Her curled up form was visible under the folds of the large comforter she slept under. Part of her dark tresses spilled over the edge of the couch, touching the floor. Her deep breathing was the only sound in the room.

He found himself striding across the room. He stopped in front of the couch.

As if of their own accord, his long white fingers reached out and stroked her cheek. It was very warm, almost fevered. Seren muttered in her sleep, before he withdrew his hand.

He'd been checking on her, that was all.

That was all.

Then he noticed one more thing. Chompy was sleeping, snug in Seren's embrace and on her pillow. A pool of drool soaked the pillow around his head. He looked like the happiest hollow lizard in all of Hueco Mundo.

Of course. That was just like Seren. Sleep with the stupid, drooling trash. It made a lot of sense to her, for some reason. What, he couldn't fathom.

He strode away furiously. Again, that plucking at something deep in him. It was almost incessant now, every time he saw her. She pulled at something inside him. Something that make him ache worse than any wound or burn.

A thousand times worse, because it wouldn't heal.

Seren rolled over. Whoa. So she had actually fallen asleep!

She'd just wanted to doze, for a moment!

"Uh," she muttered, sitting up. Chompy yelped as he was dumped heartlessly from his previous position.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! Chompy! Don't leaaaavveeee!" Seren reached out for it, but the hollow had already jumped off the couch and waddled away. "Waah," Seren lamented. "I didn't mean it…"

"You know you could just grab it."

Seren turned around. "Oh, Ulquiorra."

He blinked. "Yes, it is I."

Seren blinked. Who talked like that?

Oh yeah. Ulquiorra.

"I would, but he wouldn't be happy. And if he's not happy, why would I be happy? That defeats the purpose."

"What purpose?"

"Never mind." Seren pulled the blankets off her and slid her feet onto the floor.

"What would be the purpose of that?" Ulquiorra continued.

"Um, you probably wouldn't understand it."

"There are a lot of things I know, woman." He was getting impatient.

"Well, see, I love Chompy. Therefore, I want to snuggle with him. But if he doesn't want it, it's not love anymore, see?"

"Mm." Ulquiorra turned away and walked away, leaving Seren grimacing at his back. Why did he always do that? He was always walking somewhere. Why couldn't he just sit down and rest?

Is that it? Ulquiorra wondered. Did he think of Seren as his pet, was that it? He wanted to snuggle with Seren…? No. That was stupid and idiotic. Something only trash thought of, because they were too weak to stand for themselves; they needed someone else to support them. He didn't.

"Hey, can I got out today?" Seren asked.

"No." He suddenly felt jealous and possessive. He didn't want her leaving. He wanted her to stay here with him.

'Don't leave.'

No. That was stupid. "Yes, you may go. But be back before dark." He corrected.

Seren blinked. See, that was the creepy thing about Ulquiorra. He could change his mind without changing facial expressions.

It just wasn't natural!

"Well then," she said. She got up, fixed up her bed, changed, and grabbed Chompy to leave.

"Bye, Ulquiorra," she muttered before she ran off into the hallways.

With her gone, Ulquiorra noticed something else. Somehow, the room felt lonelier than it had. Lonelier than before Seren had even been there. Lonely, without her.

Seren knocked on Grimmjow's door, regretting it almost instantly. Why?! Why?! Why!!! She could almost see the smug look on his face before he tried something perverted. Undoubtedly.

Oh yeah, and the door was there again. It looked like a badly done job though, with the hinges crooked, and she could swear there were bits of tape on it.

Ha. That was funny. She could imagine Grimmjow trying to fix the door, before it confused him and he got angry and kicked it in half. She looked for cracks on the door, signs of trauma.

To her surprise, there were none.

Then, the door opened. She looked up.

Of course. She knew it.

Grimmjow was smirking. "Oh, I see. Back already?"

"Yeah. I felt left out."

"So, emo boy actually let you out of your cage?"

"Yeah. And you should stop calling him that, he's not that bad."

"You know that's what you thought when you saw him."

Seren grimaced.

"Aha," Grimmjow said. "Caught you on that one."

"Yeah…" She smiled. "Well anyways, where's the party?"

Just then she heard a loud yell:

"D-ROY, YOU ARE SUCH A FRIKKEN CHEATER!!!"


	21. No Games Like Card Cames

Haha! card games! yes, i did make grimmjow and his fraccion card game obsessed. it just seemed like something they would do... after all, what else is a den of Arrancar guys supposed to do? they sure don't have tv or video games!

aaaanyways... nobody commented on the omake with szayel and his pink hair! i'm so dissapointed... :( I thought it was hilarious, anyways...

also! quick poll! who should seren end up with, ulquioos or grimmykins???

**Chapter Twenty-One:**

**No Games Like Card Games**

Well, as it turns out, Kimi was very feisty. To Seren's surprise and chagrin, Kimi kept throwing down the cards whenever she lost (which was often) and shrieked that she was a winner and the queen whenever she won.

D-Roy did seem to have unnatural luck, and Seren kept watching for him to cheat. The other fraccion, Illforte, Edorad, Nakim, and Shawlong all seemed to be much milder, thankfully. Otherwise the room would have been total chaos.

As for Grimmjow… well, the first time he lost he shot a cero at Seren, who'd won. Furious, she'd attacked him until Illforte, Kimi, and Shawlong dragged her off of him.

"YOU IDIOT! YOU STUPID ASSHOLE! JUST BECAUSE I WON-"

"You CHEATED!"

"YOU THINK EVERYONE CHEATS! You didn't need to CERO the cards!" Seren was pulled away, still kicking.

D-Roy won the next three games in a row, leading to several outbursts from Kimi. Illforte won the next one, then Grimmjow won. Shawlong didn't win a single game.

The next round Grimmjow won again.

"HA! I WIN!" He yelled.

"You must have CHEATED!" Seren pointed. "You and D-Roy both!"

"You're just mad because you only won once!" Just then there was a loud chomp. For a second, Grimmjow froze, then his face contorted into a scream.

"ACK! That THING'S biting my ASS!" He yelled, jumping up. Sure enough, Chompy was hanging from his backside.

"Ack! Chompy! Bad! Down!" Kimi yelled.

"No! GOOD Chompy! Take a bite out of him!" Seren cheered.

Seren found herself, for the first time in Hueco Mundo, truly enjoying herself.

She was happy.

When Seren said her goodbyes, she gave hugs to everyone (although avoiding Shawlong a little bit, that guy was CREEPY) and a quick squeeze to Kimi, she picked up Chompy and prepared to leave.

"Hey. You owe me. That stupid THING of yours bit me!" Grimmjow demanded.

"No! He was just doing what I secretly wanted to do."

"You wanted to bite my BUTT?!" He paused. "You're kinky."

Seren's jaw dropped as her face turned bright red. "LIKE HELL, YOU PERV! WHY IS IT THAT EVERYTHING I SAY AROUND YOU TURNS WEIRD?!"

"THAT'S WHAT WAS IMPLIED!"

"I wanted to HURT you, that's it!" Seren yelled back. "Now, I have to GO!" She punched Grimmjow, then ran as fast as she could, listening to him howling after her with fury.

Something about it made her smile even more.

When she got back, she noticed that there was no Ulquiorra.

"Ah, I see," she said, setting Chompy down. "Now remember, no more eating his clothes!" She lectured it, but the thing only tipped its head before waddling away.

"And, no more biting Grimmjow's butt! That only leads to awkward conversations!" She called after it.

Just then she heard a quiet grumble. Ulquiorra sat up in his bed, rubbing his head.

Seren's jaw dropped.

Oh, shizz. She'd woken the zombie-emo boy up.

WHY?! Why?! Why couldn't things ever go right with her?!?

"A-I'm sorry, Ulquiorra. I thought you weren't here…" Seren muttered.

"It's fine." He replied.

Seren looked up. She noticed that Ulquiorra looked… almost human. He had dark shadows under his green eyes, which looked paler than usual. Delicate, like a porcelain doll.

"What are you looking at?"

Seren looked down, embarrassed. "The new door."

Of course, the door was the other way, behind her.

Why, Seren, why?

"Yes. I ordered a new door." Ulquiorra lay back down and closed his eyes.

"Good night."

"I'll be leaving again in a couple hours. And it's still late afternoon."

"That's wrong, Ulquiorra. When I say 'goodnight,' you should say 'goodnight' back."

"Why?"

"It sounds nice."

"Goodnight, then."

He rolled over and it wasn't long before he was back asleep.


	22. Your Heart Is An Empty Room

i hate this stupid document uploader thing!! it is so annoying! it keeps changed all the fonts and underlines and whatever. it is sooooo annoying! stupid think doesn't work right! AAARRGH! X(

also, this chapter was inspired by this great song by death cab for cutie, called 'your heart is an empty room.' i highly advise you guys listen to it while reading this chapter. it makes it all the more emotional...

the song is perfect for ulqui!!

**Chapter Twenty Two:**

**Your Heart is an Empty Room**

While Seren was in the shower, she thought.

She couldn't stop thinking about Ulquiorra. He'd just never struck her as mortal, as weird as that sounded. Perhaps, to her, it had just seemed that he was a ghost that lived off of warfare and shadows. Not a person. Not a person who slept or did human things. Not someone who got tired, hurt, or ever looked- this was going to sound weird- _breakable_. Ulquiorra Schiffer had just always been indestructible to her.

It was strange.

Perhaps he just naturally repulsed people. Was that it?

She knew he'd freaked her out when she saw him.

Then again, he had basically beaten her to a bloody pulp.

Hmm.

Maybe, she thought, they could try to be something other than captive and guard.

And if he repulsed people, did that make him lonely?

Did he ever feel alone?

Luckily for her, no matter how much she hated this place, she had Chompy, Kimi, Apache, Mila Rose, Sunsun, and as much as she tried to deny it… Grimmjow.

Ulquiorra had his missions.

That was it.

It seemed awfully lonely. She knew how it'd felt to be alone- she hadn't realized it, but that's what she had been out in Hueco Mundo. Of course, it hadn't bothered her because she'd had false memories and hadn't known better.

Now she did. Thinking about how alone she'd been made her want to sit on the floor and hug her knees to her chest. It made her feel so awfully bare.

Her heart had been an empty room. Full of nothing.

That's what Ulquiorra was, she thought.

He didn't know any better than that.

Ulquiorra's heart was an empty room.

She heard him rustling around as he was leaving. She didn't move from her bed, only spoke.

"Ulquiorra, don't you ever feel alone?"

"No. I don't have time to do that, nor would I want to. Only trash think of that."

"Huh. Maybe you should try."

The door closed, and Seren wondered if he had even heard her.

"So, Ulquiorra, how's our little Seren-chan?" Aizen asked. His usual happy face was on. And his usual cup of tea.

"She is restless and is usually out by Grimmjow's quarters to visit an Arrancar she saved from a gang." Ulquiorra reported faithfully.

"Ah, of course. I always thought that she would be the bleeding heart type." Aizen paused to chuckle. "I bet she annoys you."

"…"

"Of course. Has she tried to escape lately?"

"No. You would know if she had."

"Hmm… well, that's progress. The last thing I need to worry about is a wayward child." Aizen treated all his subjects like his children.

"She does not take to captivity well."

"But she has calmed down, no?"

"That's because I have allowed her to go and explore as long as she is back before dark."

"Is that so?" Aizen took on a thoughtful tone. "Perhaps it's the illusion that she is free that makes her less… feisty. What do you think, Ulquiorra?"

Ulquiorra paused for a moment. "I think you're right."

"What else?"

"…She reacts adversely to no. She is like a rebellious child. Yet she will act to protect others she sees as weaker than herself. She claims it is love."

Aizen smiled. "And Ulquiorra, you are like the eldest child. So responsible, and reliable. And yet, you don't understand something so simple."

"I don't understand?"

"She will do anything for someone she loves. She cannot be ruled by fear or hate. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"So this is what I want you to do. I want you to get her to love you, because with it will come absolute loyalty. It works. My vice captain Hinamori can tell you all about it." He chuckled, but it was a sound of such mirth that it seemed to suck all joy out of the air around him. "Do you know how to do this?"

"No."

"Well, here's a start. Take her out of Las Noches. I will release her from her binding necklace fore three hours. But make sure you watch her and she leaves Fuerda behind. You may go."

"Yes, Aizen-sama." Ulquiorra left without another word.

haha! cruel place to end, no?? don't worry. it'll be up soon... if i can be persuaded... *hint hint*

yay! more good news! i've been favorited again! yaaaay me! *does victory dance*


	23. The Not Psychotic Tyrannical Thing

yaay! i'm back, and this story's just writing itself, i swear.

it's too much fun!

anyways, i went outside last night and there were these two GIANT spotted slugs on the sidewalk. They were five inches long! crap they were huge!!!

Also, i'm so mad at itunes!! they can have spanish music on there, but not korean or japanese? J-pop is some of the greatest sound around, and i can't get it on my ipod!!! noooooooooooooo!!! lately i've become obsessed with shinee and kara, both good groups.

**Chapter Twenty Three:**

**The Not Psychotic Tyrannical Thing**

Seren didn't realize that she was asleep until she woke up. "Wh-whoa!" She muttered, hair over her face. "Jeez! I wasn't supposed to fall ASLEEP!" She looked around. "Oh! Chompy!" The thing was sleeping- on her butt.

"Jeez! I guess you just like butts," Seren muttered. "You perverted little hollow thing."

Chompy didn't even bother grunting in response. Utterly guiltless.

"Whatever," she said. "You're getting off anyways, I need to get up." She rolled over, heartlessly tossing Chompy off, and went into the bathroom. She got dressed, put her hair up, and looked for the perfume Mila Rose had given her.

Seren sighed as she thought about Halibel's fraccion. She missed those three; she had been there, what, two nights? And yet, in that time, they had managed to find a place for themselves in her heart.

The door cracked. Seren spun around. "Who's there?" She grabbed her brush, prepared for an attack.

"I'm not Nnoitra," she heard a familiar voice say dryly.

"Oh. Ulquiorra." Seren turned back to the bathroom counter. Where was that perfume?

"You're going out today."

"Yeah."

"No. You're going outside Las Noches."

Seren froze. Her eyes widened.

"What?"

"I have received permission to take you outside of Las Noches for three hours. Your necklace is deactivated." Ulquiorra reported.

Seren blinked. 'Translation?' She thought. "So… I can go outside?"

"As long as you leave Fuerda behind and I watch you."

For a moment her mind blanked. What? Ulquiorra was doing something _nice_ for her?! There must be some trick. "What did I do?"

"Did you do anything?"

"No."

"Well then." Ulquiorra turned around.

"… Uh, I'm ready to go?" Seren couldn't help the nagging suspicion that something was behind this. There had to be.

"Follow me." Ulquiorra walked to the wall.

"Um, Ulquiorra, that sure doesn't look like a door-"

He touched the wall, released his reiatsu, and the window widened and expanded from its spot in the corner of the wall to touch the floor. Seren's jaw dropped.

"That was cool."

"Are you coming or not?"

"Yes!" A smile broke out over her face as she realized that this wasn't a joke. She really was going outside! She grabbed Chompy.

"Oh, thank you, thank you, Ulquiorra!" She laughed and raced outside.

Ulquiorra blinked twice behind her, then followed.

Seren felt like a caged bird that had suddenly been let out. She sought to stretch her wings, taste the wind, make up for lost time.

She spun, danced, jumped, and ran around endlessly, just enjoying the bleak area of Hueco Mundo.

"C'mon, Chompy, let's go!" She picked her pet up and spun him. The thing only grunted. Seren laughed, with all the joy in her heart.

She was weightless, effortless, flawless. The sky wasn't too high for her to touch. Her heart could fly. Even the barren, broken trees that dotted the landscape were beautiful cherry blossom trees at their peak to her.

She spun, before falling and rolling down a large sand hill, laughing all the way down. She hit the bottom and flopped around playfully, as Chompy rolled down after her.

She looks like an idiot, Ulquiorra thought. How stupid. Was she really enjoying this, this blank landscape? It hadn't changed, and never would.

Yet she acted like it was a paradise.

Again, a tingling. He felt the corners of his mouth tug into a mournful smile. Somehow, seeing her happy brought him the merest bit of warmth.

He put his hands in his pockets, and let it heat through him. It was nice.

And yet, watching her play also brought him pain. It was like a spike, twisting in a half healed wound. Somewhere in him there was a wish to join her.

No.

The usual answer. He suppressed the idea viciously.

She was a prisoner, nothing more.

Nothing less.

Again, that voice in the back of his head nagged at him again.

'Do it again.'

He wanted her to hug him again. He wanted to embrace her and just stay there, happy. This warmth was pleasant, joyful- it was the only bit of happiness in all of Hueco Mundo for him. He wanted more.

It was like an addiction. One taste, and you needed more.

And more and more.

Until it destroyed you.

An hour later, Seren climbed back up the hill, exhausted. She sat down, panting. Chompy clambered up next to her, and sat down in her lap.

"Hey Chompy, my honey." Seren crooned at it. "I love you." She petted it, even though Chompy just wanted to rest and kept biting at her hand. "You're being a sassy boy today," she lectured. "Bad Chompy!"

She settled back on her back, and looked at the sky. Of course, in Hueco Mundo, it was eternal night. But that was how she liked it. The stars sparkled merrily at her.

A foot appeared by her face. She looked up.

"Ulquiorra!"

"Are you ready to leave yet?" He had his usual blank face on.

"Are you kidding? I have two hours out here yet, and I'm using every second of them!" Seren huffed.

"Hm." To her surprise, Ulquiorra didn't leave as usual.

"Oh, you're not being antisocial today!" She noted.

"I was not being antisocial. You're just annoying."

"Oh, and I'm not being annoying right now?"

"Yes, you are."

"Huh!" Seren said. "Well then."

A wind blew, ruffling their hair gently. Seren sighed contentedly.

"I love it here."

"It is a barren wasteland."

"Well, aren't you the regular killjoy."

"…"

Seren looked up at him. "Just lighten up," she smiled at him. "Try seeing it a different way."

"But it _is_ a barren wasteland."

"But it can also be a haven, a home, or a beautiful desert. It all depends on you."

For a while the two of them just stayed there. The only sound was the occasional grumble from Chompy or whistle of wind.

The white sands blew, looking like diamonds in the starlight. The trees shook, rattling their branches gently. The clouds in the dark sky drifted lazily past; the moon was a great bright orb. The entire world was black and white: black trees, black sky; white moon, white stars, white sands.

"Ulquiorra?" Seren finally broke the silence.

Ulquiorra looked at her. "What?"

"Why don't you ever try addressing me by my name? Really. It's Seren. Say-REN."

"That is unimportant."

"Am I really that annoying?"

"You are rambunctious and noisy. Yes."

"Jerk. But, seriously, have you ever felt empty?"

"I don't know how you mean."

"I mean, like there is nothing there."

"Where?"

"In your heart."

"I keep trying to explain this to you. We have no hearts."

"That is subjective. Maybe not physically, but you could have one nonetheless, I'm sure."

"That is an impossibility."

"It's all relative. Like Hueco Mundo. I believe it is beautiful. You think it's a 'barren wasteland.' I think that we can have hearts. You do not. They can both be right."

"Wrong. It can only be one answer."

"That's where you're wrong, Ulquiorra. There are many possible answers for the same question. Except for things, like, 2 plus 2. Or wait, never mind. It's four, but you could say eight halves or a third of twelve. It's all how you look at it, see?"

"You need to think about something better."

"Nah nah," Seren stuck her tongue out at him. "I think it's plenty fine."

"I think that you should worry about improving your powers so you don't get yourself killed."

"That's also a good idea. But I don't need to worry about that. You're here to protect me." She looked up at him. Her silvery eyes looked into his green ones.

A breeze blew past them again.

"I can't always be there, Seren."

"Sure you can. I have faith in you. And if I can't handle myself, I'm sure Grimmjow would help me."

"Why would he do that?"

"Because we're friends. That's what friends do. They have each other's backs."

"Are you saying that makes us friends?"

"I don't know, Ulquoirra. Are we?"

A lonely breeze coasted between them, brushing through the sands.

"You say I'm empty?"

"Yes. There is the object of the hole in your chest, but I don't think that's it."

"What? My 'heart?'"

"No. You say you don't have one, so you don't. But don't you ever feel lonely?"

Again, that feeling nagged in the back of his head.

"No."

"Well, you wouldn't know better. Have you ever not been lonely?"

"I wouldn't know the difference."

"Ulquiorra?"

"What?"

"You are SO hard to talk to. I give up!" Seren picked herself up, dusted herself off, and grabbed Chompy. "Let's go, boy!" She laughed and picked him up, and raced off to roll down the hill again.

When Seren returned a long while later, she noticed that Ulquiorra was sleeping- standing up. "Didn't know that was possible," she muttered. "Well, this is Ulquiorra…" She poked him.

He didn't wake up.

"Well, stubborn, aren't we?" She shook his shoulder. "Ulquiorra? Ulquiorra! Wake up!"

His eyes flipped open. "What are you doing, woman?"

"Waking you up."

"I wasn't sleeping."

"Sure you weren't. Anyways, isn't it time to go?" Ulquiorra's eyes slowly rolled to look at the sky.

"Yes."

Seren looked up. It was still dark. Nothing had changed. "Uh, how can you tell? The sky hasn't changed. There's no day here or anything!"

"The stars have moved."

"Whoa! How can you tell? They look the same to me."

"I have good eyes." He turned around. "Where's your thing?"

"I told you, his name is CHOMPY!" Seren huffed. She looked around. "Chooooooooooooo-mmmmmmpyyyy!" She called. "Where is he?!"

"Over the next two hills," Ulquiorra said.

"Huh? Oh, you're not kidding. You do have good eyes."

She ran over the hills, leaving without another word, hair swishing behind her.

Seren found Chompy digging a hole under a tree. "Hey, what are you doing, you silly thing?" She picked him up. "Hey, buddy!"

Chompy grunted and struggled to get free. "Huh?" Seren asked, surprised. CHOMP. "YEOOWCH!" She shrieked as Chompy bit her hand, and she dropped him. "CHOMPY! BAD!" Chompy had scampered back into the hole, and refused to come out. "Don't be silly!" Seren huffed. She grabbed him and ran back to Ulquiorra before it could escape again.

"Sorry," she said. "He was being difficult!"

"Let's go." Ulquiorra turned on his heel and sonido'd away to Las Noches.

"What he said," Seren murmured, and ran after him.

It wasn't long before Chompy started whimpering. Seren stopped. "What's your problem, boy?" It only continued to whine and struggle to be let down. Seren pursed her lips. She knew what he wanted.

"What are you doing?" Ulquiorra asked. "We need to go."

Seren didn't say anything, only set Chompy down. Chompy immediately took his chance and scuttled away without further ado, waddling down the hill.

"Why did you do that?"

Seren straightened up. "Because it's what he wanted."

"But don't you want it to stay with you?"

"…Well, Ulquiorra, all I can say is, sometimes if you really love something, you have to let it go."

Ulquiorra didn't say another word, only led the way back to Las Noches.

When Ulquiorra left, he locked the door and warned Seren not to go out again. Seren almost asked why he wouldn't let her out, then decided against it. She was too tired to argue anyways.

She waited until his reiatsu faded away completely before slipped softly to the ground and crying.

Seren hadn't realized how lonely the room was with no one in it. Not even Chompy was there to bite her.

But she didn't want to hold him against his will. She knew how that felt. She would oppose that idea at all costs.

Not for the first time, she wondered why they couldn't just let her go. Really. Why couldn't Aizen just do the not-psychotic-tyrannical thing and just drop her a note when he needed her? She hadn't seen him for days, and she was wondering if she even had a purpose here.

She didn't.

Seren looked at her necklace. Immediately her slow-burning anger started smoking again. She hated the stupid thing! Trying to deceive her with its false charms to make her believe she actually liked it. Of course, Aizen had to have it his way and make it look pretty, when underneath it was actually a terrible thing. Like how he trapped her. He almost acted like a father, but he was far from it.

Deception was Aizen's game.

She viciously tugged at it, willing the string to break. It didn't. She pulled and pulled, and then bit at it. It shocked her. Seren whimpered, before giving up.

She looked at the window. Maybe, just maybe, it was still deactivated…?

She reached her fingers out to reach outside the window- it had no panes. She could smell the air outside, taste freedom. And yet-

A warm buzz warmed her fingers. It warned her not to do it.

Seren sighed and let her arm fall to her side.

It was useless, like everything else in this place.


	24. Stockholm Syndrome

Okay, time to get back to the plot! (yes, the story does have one)

please review, people! one kind soul has kept reviewing (thank you!) and that's it! come on people! where's the generosity in your spirit?? a penny for the poor? if you haven't got a penny, then a half penny will do... (yes i did just quote a christmas carol).

**Chapter Twenty Four:**

**Stockholm Syndrome**

Seren almost wished Grimmjow would come bust in the door again. She might even kiss him if only to be let out. She was so bored.

Ulquiorra's room was very quiet, like him. It was also immaculate, neat- and empty- like him. Seren found herself hating it more and more the longer she stayed.

She hated the room.

But she didn't hate Ulquiorra.

No, that was a false thought. A stupid idea, she told herself. Of course she hated him.

And yet, she couldn't bring herself to despise the Espada, not one bit. She guessed he grew on you after a while. He wasn't all that bad. Perhaps creepy, emo, had a superiority complex, and anti-social. But that wasn't NEARLY as bad as Nnoitra. She felt a chill crawl up her spine as she thought about it. Ulquiorra, at least, wouldn't try to rape her. Nnoitra, you bastard.

No, no. Seren shook her head. This was stupid. Why was she arguing with herself about this? Ulquiorra was just the cell guard hired to watch her in her prison. She should hate him. He held the keys out of the cell.

This was just Stockholm Syndrome taking place. Yes, definitely. She nodded, agreeing with herself. During a bank heist or something like that, a set of robbers had held hostages for several days. In the end, a twisted wedding took place where one of the hostages married her captor.

What a creepy psychological effect.

What if she had that?

No, she didn't. Ulquiorra simply wasn't terrible. He was steady, reliable, calm, and… well, not much else.

But it's a start.

Suddenly, Seren heard footsteps creaking outside. Her heart froze in her chest.

She knew this reiatsu. Immediately, icy poison filled her veins and her mind started short circuiting. It couldn't be.

"Hello, pet." A very familiar voice said. "I know you're in there. I think you owe me an apology; perhaps you could come out and talk to me? We should start where we left off. Just let me get this door open."

It was Nnoitra.

Kimi woke up suddenly. Her heart was pumping crazily, and she was covered in a cold sweat. She bolted up.

"No, no, not again…" She muttered, rubbing her forehead. "I thought I'd gotten rid of this."

She looked up. Of course, all the guys were busy yelling at each other in the other room. She could distinctly hear a clattering of swords as D-Roy won yet again.

Kimi pulled a robe on and stumbled out. "You guys," she said, her voice weak and hoarse.

They all looked up from their card game, surprised.

"Kimi, weren't you sleeping?"

Kimi didn't answer. The deep bags under her eyes seemed to glow.

"I think we need to check on Seren."


	25. Pet

Hello, everybody! It's me again. Sorry it took so long… but two days ago we went on a day trip and then on Monday I was at my dad's house, which didn't have the story on the computer, and next week I'm going up north to my uncle's so… yeah… these next chapters will be coming out slower. But to make it up, this one's eight pages long! Hooray for long epic chapters!

Also, a word of help: Rabaeth is pronounced "RUH-byth." Just to help you guys along…

**Chapter Twenty Five:**

**Pet**

Seren stood, braced, gripping Fuerda tightly. The room around her was destroyed- the furniture were overturned, burn marks and holes were on the walls, and several cuts and slashes sliced across the room. Smoke streamed from several still-burning fires.

Nnoitra, to her gratitude, at least looked winded. His clothes were torn, and he was bleeding from several gashes. But instead of being intimidated, he only smiled wider and wider.

I only feel alive when I'm gurgling my own blood!" He laughed. "You're fun, little pet."

Seren felt terror spreading through her body. Again, the ice cold poison flooded her veins, and her heart skipped beats, pumping erratically.

Impossible. There was no way to stop him.

"Don't tell me you're done already?" Nnoitra tipped his head to the side. "Really? I thought you'd be stronger."

Seren shook. She gripped Fuerda tighter, praying only that sh'chi would open. Why wouldn't it work? Stupid necklace, stupid necklace. She had to break the binding, she had to!

"Well, are you done yet?"

Seren opened her mouth, and instead screamed. "SH'CHI! SH'CHI! SH'CHI!" She jammed her sword into the ground, praying, begging, entreating it to work. Instead, the necklace shocked her viciously, and she was in searing pain.

She dropped to her knees, yelling as blood gurgled in her throat. "SH'CHI! SH'CHI!" Her palms started bleeding as she gripped the hilt even tighter.

"Aww, you can't open your little portal, honey?" Nnoitra was right next to her, bending over so he could face her. His tilted fox eyes winked at her. "How sad. But feel the blood gurgling in your throat! Isn't it great?"

He was crazy. He was mad. Utterly mad.

Seren tried to speak. All she did was cough more.

"What? What was that, honey? You having fun?" Nnoitra put his hand behind his ear, mocking her.

Seren swallowed, and said one thing: "Damn you."

"That won't do, pet."

Kimi was flying along the halls. She knew something was wrong. The familiar nagging in the back of her head wasn't just nagging anymore, it was tearing, the way it used to. Kimi cursed silently.

She thought she'd gotten rid of this ability. But just this once she would let it warn her, just this once.

She pulled down the corridor, as Grimmjow and D-Roy and Illforte raced behind him.

"Are you sure something's wrong?" Grimmjow called from behind her.

"YES!" Kimi shrieked. She cursed under breath at how large the castle was.

All Seren knew was pain. She closed her eyes tightly, only screaming and gurgling. She was blindly waving her sword around as she slashed at Nnoitra, who only laughed as he dodged easily. Blood cascaded down her throat and chest. She felt pain at her legs, back, arms. Her wounds, the necklace shocking her mercilessly; after a while, it all just blended together.

"All right, that's enough, pet. This is boring, and you clearly have no fight left in you," Nnoitra mocked.

In an instant he had grabbed her, knocking Fuerda out of her hands. Seren's body gave way and collapsed.

Seren still fought. But there was no strength left in her. All she could do was keep screaming.

"SH'CHI! SH'CHI!"

Ulquiorra walked in Aizen's quarters quaintly. "I'm back." He intoned.

"Good. So everything went alright then?" Aizen asked.

"Yes."

"Well, I think you should check on your wayward captive," Aizen said. Ulquiorra blinked, surprised.

"Why?"

"The necklace is reacting. She's trying to escape."

Ulquiorra's eyes widened. Damn her. He thought she'd given that up.

"Right away, Aizen-sama." He turned and flash stepped away.

Shawlong knocked on the door. It creaked open slowly as Mila Rose moaned.

"Uuh, it's the middle of the night, what now?" She looked up, surprised.

"What are you doing here?"

Shawlong only blinked. "Kimi requests that you come with her to Ulquiorra's rooms. She says it's about Seren."

Mila Rose's eyes widened. "What is it?"

"She didn't specify."

Mila Rose turned around and yelled behind her. "Wake up, Apache, Sunsun!" There were resounding groans from inside the room. "It's Seren, and that Kimi girl she saved needs us or something."

Seren closed her eyes, trying to block the nightmare out.

She'd stopped screaming, but whispered it, one more time:

"SH'CHI."

The necklace broke apart into a thousand pieces, the pearls rolling around on the floor.

When Kimi burst into the room, it was even worse than she'd feared. The room was destroyed, and Nnoitra was on Seren.

She screamed and rushed behind him, grabbed his hair, and yanked as hard as she could.

Nnoitra looked up at her, his eyes black pits.

Kimi froze.

Damn.

In an instant, something hurtled into the both of them, slamming Nnoitra against a wall as Kimi let go and crashed into the door.

Grimmjow was there, standing over Seren, growling. His reiatsu prickled the air, and he grabbed his sword.

"You…. bastard!" He roared and rushed at Nnoitra. A resounding clashing of swords echoed around the room as they engaged in a battle too fast to see.

D-Roy and Ilforte only stared at the scene, too shocked to do anything.

Kimi got up and rushed over to Seren.

She was passed out, thankfully. Kimi closed her eyes, ignoring the blood that slicked her hands as she lifted Seren up.

"Shit," she said. "We need a healer!"

The was a sudden crash in the doorway as Mila Rose, Apache, Sunsun, and Shawlong arrived.

Mila Rose looked at the scene once, and knew.

"Oh, damn." She rushed over. "Quick. We have to stop this bleeding. Sunsun, get some rags. Apache, you're the fastest, run and get a healer."

Apache nodded once, grabbed D-Roy, and ran out of the room.

CRASH. A loud cero crashed into the wall behind Kimi. Everyone turned around and stared as Nnoitra broke apart from Grimmjow.

"Why," he panted. "Are you all here? She's _my _prey!"

Kimi perked up, her eyes burning. "Because Seren-"

"Is not your prey!" Grimmjow hissed. He pulled out his sword. "You'd better ready yourself, Nnoitra. HOWL, PANTERAS!" There was burst of light as he released his zanpakutoh. Air swirled around the room, blowing wildly as Kimi and Mila Rose shielded their eyes. A brilliant flash of light, and-

"What are you doing here?"

The voice chilled the air. Everyone froze and turned around.

Ulquiorra's silhouette was framed in the doorway; only his glowing green eyes could be seen.

"I said, what are you doing here?"

No one could speak. Kimi swallowed a large lump blocking her windpipe. Her throat would make no sound.

Everyone was silent. Time seemed to hang on a string.

The only sound was the quiet stepping of Ulquiorra's shoes on the tiled floor as he walked across the room. His hands were in his pockets as usual.

He stopped in front of Kimi.

"You."

Kimi couldn't speak. Her heart was in her throat, battering her thoughts. Ulquiorra narrowed his eyes, impatient with her. He looked at Seren.

His eyes widened. He looked at her torn clothes, wounds, and knew.

He turned around to face Nnoitra.

Nnoitra stood frozen as he slowly approached him. Ulquiorra looked him up and down, and his eyes burned with fury.

In that instant, he lost his control for a moment.

SCRATCH. There was a resounding tear as he raked at Nnoitra's face. It echoed in the room, again, again, again.

"ACK!" Nnoitra yelped, clutching at his face. There were four deep gashes across his face where Ulquiorra had hit him. His eye patch fluttered to the ground, revealing the hole in his head.

No one moved. The only sound was Nnoitra's howling. "WHAT DID YOU DO THAT FOR, ULQUIORRA-"

Ulquiorra kicked Nnoitra into the wall. Nnoitra bent around his foot as easily as a doll. The wall cracked and groaned as his body hit it. Then Ulquiorra grabbed Nnoitra by his neck and lifted him so he could face him.

"If you, ever, EVER so much as dare to show yourself in my area of Las Noches again," Ulquiorra hissed. "_I will kill you_. And if you ever so much as glance at Seren again-" his fist tightened around Nnoitra's neck- "I will _destroy _you. Understood?"

Nnoitra only stared, terrified.

"Good." Ulquiorra threw him back into the wall. Nnoitra struggled up and sonidoed away, without even another breath. Ulquiorra's head turned to watch him leave.

Then he looked at Grimmjow, who only growled at him.

"Go, Grimmjow. Take your fraccion with you."

"Like hell." Grimmjow was going to put up a fight.

"There is nothing you can do for her. Leave."

Grimmjow's eyes burned, then they fell dull again. "Panteras." He returned to his normal form. His zanpakutoh collapsed into a sword and clattered to the floor. "Shawlong, D-Roy," Grimmjow said, his eyes never leaving Ulquiorra's, "we're leaving. Where's Illforte?"

"We're back!" Apache and Illforte appeared, with a healer at their side.

"Whoa." Apache stood and looked around the room, shocked. "Where's Nnoitra-"

"That's not important. You brought a healer?" Ulquiorra gestured to Seren. "Get to it." The healer blinked twice, then scampered to Seren's side.

"Umm…" he murmured, "this could take a while."

"Take as long as necessary." Ulquiorra stood behind him, watching Seren.

She was still unconscious, eyes closed. Her face was smeared with blood and her uniform was stained a bloody scarlet. Her hair was a tangled mess, and she had scars where he didn't even want to think. Her breathing was erratic, labored.

The healer started his work, and a light shield of energy descended and covered Seren's body, and it started to heal. The blood and burns started to smooth away gently, and fluttered away into the air, like butterflies. Seren began breathing easier.

Mila Rose, Apache, Sunsun, Grimmjow, D-Roy, Illforte, Shawlong, and Kimi formed a concerned circle around the scene, watching grimly. There was no sound, only the soft humming of the healing.

Ulquiorra stood inside the circle. His face was calm and pristine as it always was.

But inside there was turmoil. It was like the great up heaving of the mountains, the feeling in his chest. He wanted to destroy Nnoitra.

He wanted him dead.

For invading his territory, for violating Aizen-sama's orders and property, and-

His fist clenched in his pocket.

Nnoitra would pay.

_Seren opened her eyes. She felt… nothing. She felt light as air, and unreal. She couldn't feel any pain, ache, or even a heartbeat. She looked around. She was in a simple white dress, in an empty field full of long grass with bordering trees._

_Was she dead?_

"_No, Valencia, you're not dead. Or, oh yes. You go by Seren now, right?" _

_It was a voice she hadn't heard in a very long time, and one she missed very badly._

"_Rabaeth." _

_It was her zanpakutoh, striding towards her. He smiled, blue eyes shining. He had a shinigami robe on, but it was pure white. _

"_It's been a long time, no? It's all your fault for turning into a hollow, Valencia." Rabaeth walked towards her and wrapped her up in a hug. _

"_Why am I here? Where am I?" Seren looked around, surprised. _

"_You're in limbo, Valencia. There was nothing else I could do, and you wouldn't stop calling me. I was restricted, and this was all there was."_

"_Limbo?"_

"_Your body is still there, but your soul is with me, in your internal world. You should remember from Soul Society, no?" _

_Seren looked around. She did remember, after all. In her training, she'd met Rabaeth to release her powers. _

"_I missed this place."_

"_Me too. When you turned into a hollow, I couldn't speak to you. Your heart was a barren desert, twice as blank as Hueco Mundo and just as lonely. But now that you're back, it is a flowering garden once again." Rabaeth gestured merrily around the clearing. "I missed it."_

"_Rabaeth, why don't I remember everything? I can't… remember my past life, only bits and pieces."_

_Rabaeth turned around. "Ah, see, I did that for you. I didn't want you to have to face that until you were ready. But no time like the present, right?"_

"_You blocked my memories?"_

"_So did the one who sealed your powers away."_

"_That's probably a good thing. My life is already screwed up enough." Seren sighed and rubbed her forehead. "Why don't I feel any pain?"_

"_I'm blocking that for you also. It would destroy you."_

_Rabaeth paused. _

"_But you do need to remember now, Valencia. I will give you your memories back."_

"_How do you know?"_

"_Did you really forget that? The one thing that you cannot do with your time and space bending, is touch the future. You can't see it, right, Valencia?"_

"_I can't."_

"_Exactly. You can only access that in bankai. And only I can let you do that. But I can see it."_

"_So are you going to let me remember?"_

"_Yes. It's past time." _

The healing shield over Seren condensed and then disappeared.

"This is all I can do for her," the healer explained.

Kimi knelt down and lifted Seren into her arms. "Seren? Seren?" Seren didn't even blink or show any signs of life. Only her soft, steady breathing assured them that she wasn't dead.

Grimmjow growled softly. "Seren. Seren!" No answer. Desperation crept into his voice. "Seren, wake up, dammit!" He grabbed her by her shoulders and shook her fiercely. "SEREN! SEREN!"

"What the hell are you doing?!" Mila Rose yelled, pushing him away.

"Why isn't she waking up?" Grimmjow roared. "Why?!"

Kimi shook her head, eyes tearing up. "I don't know."

There was silence, and there was only the soft sobbing of Kimi.

The healer started. "Um, I-"

"Leave." Ulquiorra ordered. His eyes never left Seren. The healer nodded and disappeared. Grimmjow whirled around.

"Why the hell did you tell him to leave?!" He snarled.

"There is nothing he can do. And it is best if he knows as little as possible." Ulquiorra replied smoothly.

"Damn you and your logic. It's not helping us now, Ulquiorra!"

Ulquiorra blinked. "I know what it is."

Kimi looked up. "What is it?"

Ulquiorra walked over, and picked up Fuerda. It felt light in his hands, and it flashed fiercely in the moonlight. "This."

"?" Kimi shook her head. "What?"

"I don't know all of her abilities, but she can bend space and time. Perhaps this had something to do with it. I know she was trying to open sh'chi."

"That's ridiculous. She's right here!" Grimmjow retorted.

"Her body is," Ulquiorra sighed, as if trying to talk to a particularly bratty child. "But she isn't waking up. Perhaps it's her spirit…?"

"I… I think he's right." Apache muttered.

"It makes sense," Shawlong nodded.

Sunsun and Mila Rose just stared emptily at Seren's body. Grimmjow only growled, escalating into a roar.

"So what do we do now?!"

"Calm down. You can go back to your quarters with your fraccion." Ulquiorra ordered.

"What? Like hell I'm leaving!" Grimmjow strode over and grabbed Ulquiorra by the collar.

"There is nothing you can do for her. Leave, Grimmjow." Ulquiorra was heartless. His eyes were like emerald, cold stone with no warmth or light. His words were just as cold, and Grimmjow's eyes contorted like he had just been struck in the stomach.

"Che," he hissed. He dropped Ulquiorra and strode out of the room, hands in pockets, jacket flapping. Shawlong, D-Roy, and Illforte scampered after him.

Mila Rose, Apache, and Sunsun flinched when Ulquiorra's gaze lit upon them, as if expecting an attack. Kimi just glared at him.

"I'm not leaving." She pronounced.

Again, those cold eyes. Somewhere inside, Kimi shivered. But she held her ground. "I won't. Seren needs me!"

Ulquiorra opened his lips to retort, but stopped. The spark in her gold eyes was so much like Seren's…

"Very well. Apache, Mila Rose, and Sunsun, you may stay also. Watch her while I go report this to Aizen. Clean her up also." He turned his back on the surprised quartet, and strode out the door, coattails fluttering as his back receded into the shadows of Las Noches.

"_Wait up!" Valencia huffed, racing after her friend with a bag full of books. "Seriously!" She had on red hakatama pants and a white top, the shinigami academy uniform. Her bag swung wildly from her shoulder as she ran._

"_It's your own dang fault for being so late!" He retorted, as she caught up to him. He had on the boys' uniform, in blue. His bag was hanging from his arm; he had his hands in his pockets. Valencia paused at his side, panting._

"_You jerk," Valencia muttered. "I wanted to look nice for the first day of shinigami school." _

"_You take too much time. Why are girls always like this? Worrying about something so stupid."_

_Valencia's eyebrow twitched. "Blame men for being so shallow. And besides, at least I put some effort into looking nice. Did you even brush your hair this morning?" She ruffled his messy blonde hair. "Really. It looks shady."_

_He pulled a strand of hair down to observe it. "It does not."_

"_Sha-dy!" Valencia pronounced. "Ooh! Look! There it is!"_

_The Shinigami Academy roared over the next hill, dominating Seireitei. It had beautiful white walls, and black robed shinigami mixed with red and blue students. The bustling activity added life to the place. Tall, graceful arches and soaring columns marked the place for what it was; a proud banner announcing "Shinigami Academy" was displayed in the huge doorway to celebrate opening day. It was huge._

"_Whoo-whee! That's a doozy," her friend announced._

"_No kidding!" Seren watched, impressed. "It's amazing. Everything I dreamed about and more."_

"_Time to wake up," her friend muttered, flicking her in the head. "Class is about to start."_

"_Why are you always such a killjoy?" Valencia scolded. "Honestly."_

_He looked up. "Yeah, yeah, Valencia."_

"_I told you. Call me Seren. I don't like Valencia."_

"_It means strength. I'd've thought you'd have liked it." He explained._

"_Huh. Well, I liked Seren better. Sounds cooler."_

"_Is that so?" He laughed. "Well, what about mine?"_

"_I guess your name's okay- Kisuke Urahara."_

Rabaeth smiled. "I liked that kid, Kisuke. He was a good guy. Mad, but a good guy."

Seren frowned. Her heart started throbbing, as she remembered the old, familiar feelings towards Kisuke. He'd been a good friend, from when they were just kids. However, he had betrayed her…

_She had been born to a middle class working family, in the 13__th__ Rukongai. Her family had been pretty regular; she'd had a mother, father, and younger sister. _

_However, they had been surrounded by greedy people. The 13__th__ Rukongai was a place for wealthy, powerful, and self-centered people. The wealthy had only cared for themselves and their nice clothes; how they could have helped the lower Rukongai mattered nothing to them; they had been born wealthy, and no one else mattered._

_They were trash._

_Valencia's family, although middling, had been considered below average in Rukongai; Valencia and her sister had been teased by the other children._

_However, Valencia discovered something that she had something that the others did not: reiatsu. She had the gift of the ability to become a shinigami._

"_Hide it," her father warned. "Or they'll do something to you. The people here are jealous. If they knew about your power, they would try to sabotage you. Hide it. But remember, Valencia: you have something none of them do. You are special."_

_And so she had hidden her ability, attempting to mask her reiatsu. _

_It hadn't worked._


	26. Shady Lady Or Guy?

I'm just going to warn you guys- this is going to be one of those flashback arcs- however, this one is actually interesting! take it from me! (im the author, of course it's interesting to me). aaanyways, all your questions will be answered over the next chapters!

what is Seren's relationship to Urahara?

What exactly is she, some primitive form of the Hougyoku or hollowfication gone wrong?

why was her memory blocked?

and how else am i going to make someone kick Nnoitra's butt? (sorry to those of you that like that character, but he's chauvinistic perverted pig. I do NOT like him. sorry, guys)

Also, sorry for the long wait. Knock yourselves out.

**Chapter Twenty Six:**

**Shady Lady- Or Guy?**

_Valencia ran, as fast as she could, hearing pursuit behind her. Her long red hair flared out behind her like a ring of fire as she ran, ran, ran. Her feet burned every time they touched the pavement. Her heart pumped painfully, and her legs burned._

_They were behind her._

_The children laughed and laughed as they chased her, enjoying her torment. The cobblestone streets echoed their footsteps, and their mocking jeers reverberated off the walls of the alleyways._

_Valencia kept running._

_Then she reached a dead end._

_She turned around, terrified._

_"Well, well, isn't our little Valencia trapped now?" Cried one of the boys. _

_"Yes, yes!" A crowd of children circled Seren, behind him._

_"Yes, her little ability," said one of the girls. "I bet she thinks she's special."_

_"Really? This piece of trash? She is nothing. She is below us." Pronounced another. _

_"I think we ought to teach her a lesson. She was busy practicing with that little reiatsu of hers, fighting. Let's see how good she's gotten." One of the boys volunteered._

_"No, I have a better idea," the leader said. "Wouldn't it be such a sad thing if your sister didn't come home from school one day?"_

_"Or perhaps," sneered another, "that something should happen to her house? A fire? A robbery? Then she'd have to move back into the lower Rukongai, where she and her no-good family belong."_

_Valencia clenched her fists. "You all are just jealous! Because you all will trapped in your wealthy circle, while I am at the shinigami academy, training to be a shinigami! That is something you can never do!" Her high pitched voice rang out, echoing on the alleyway walls._

_SMACK. PLIP. A rock hit Valencia in the face. She froze, then touched her cheek. There was a bruise, and blood was gently spilling down her face._

_She looked up, horrified._

_A rain of rocks, pebbles, and jeers descended on her as the children around her threw them and attacked her. Smack. Crack. Rip._

_Valencia covered her face in her hands and hunched over, feeling the rain like bullets. Cuts and bruises and scrapes appeared on her arms. She started crying, the tears slowly rolling down her face. But she mustn't let them know they got to her. They mustn't know. They mustn't know that she was actually terrified, crying, and hurt._

_They mustn't know._

_"Stop." _

_A pause. The hail of rocks stopped, and she heard the sounds of feet shuffling nervously. "Umm… what do you care about this…" "Leave, you rabble. You trash." It was a child's voice, about Valencia's age. She heard the hastening of bare feet as the other children raced away without a word. _

_She looked up, uncovering her head._

_"You can stop that now." It was a kindly voice, leading to an equally kind hand. Valencia looked at it blankly._

_"What?"_

_"C'mon, get up." The hand grabbed hers and pulled her roughly up. Seren looked up, shocked._

_It was boy, with messy blonde hair and a dirty kimono. He had friendly eyes that peeked out of the shadows around his eyes. He was tall for his age, but his shoulders slumped over and he had a goofy smile on his face._

_"Hi," he said. "My name's Kisuke Urahara."_

_"K-KI-KISUKE URAHARA?" Valencia blurted. She blinked, then covered her mouth, embarrassed. "I'm sorry. But why…?" Kisuke Urahara was the only child of the richest family in the district, which for 13 was pretty wealthy. The family wielded influence and power, and the other families bowed in deference to them. And totally mad._

_"Aha! Because you're spunky." Kisuke winked. "I like that. Especially how you pulled that one from under them. Something you have that they don't. That was great, I almost split my ribs laughing. They weren't expecting that!" He started laughing as he told her, and held his sides in. "Ooh, it felt good to finally have someone tell them off!"_

_"You're weird." Valencia knew she should feel grateful, but she didn't. "You shouldn't treat me like a circus animal, Kisuke Urahara."_

_"Ah, ah!" He started laughing even harder. "You even forgot the all-important title, 'sama.' That's great. Called me by my first name, too. You are something else!"_

_Yup, definitely mad, Valencia deduced._

_"I'm sorry- what was your name again?"_

_"Valencia."_

_"I'm sorry, Valencia, but my life is so dull. Everyone just calls me 'young master' and bows to me. It really gets quite old after a while. It's feels good to have someone tell me honestly what-for."_

_"Well then," Valencia pronounced, "if you want what-for, how about this? You're mad and rather shady looking and treating me like a circus attraction. I don't like you."_

_"Ha!" Kisuke said. "That almost hurt a little."_

_"Mm." _

_"Hey, you wanna hang out at my house sometime?" A delightful childish spark ignited in his eyes. "I want a real playmate for once. Not just other kids coming over for potential political alliances."_

_"Big words for a kid."_

_"I'm twelve."_

_"I'm eleven."_

_"Nice to meetcha."_

_The next day, Valencia heard a knock at the door. She opened it a crack, and shut the door loudly._

_It was Kisuke!_

_"That's quite rude," she heard from behind the door._

_She didn't say anything, only listened to the pounding of blood in her ears._

_"Valencia? I'm not going to kill you! Please open the door!"_

_Valencia sighed then opened the door quickly. "What do you want?" She hissed, rudely._

_"Do you want to come play with me at my house?" _

_Valencia blinked. "What?"_

_"C'mon, it'll be fun. Let's go!" He grabbed her arm and pulled her away._

_"Ack, ack, wait! I have to tell my parents. Mom, Dad, I'm going to Kisuke's!" She yelled through the doorway._

_"Kisuke who?" They called._

_"KISUKE URAHARA!" She yelled._

_There was nothing but utter silence as she was dragged away, but she could have sworn she heard her father's tea cup falling on the floor and breaking._

_"Umm, Kisuke, I'm not sure about this. Won't your family object?" Valencia asked nervously. His house was so nice._

_It had vases on neat tables lining the hallways, decorated sliding paper screen doors, and golden straw mats. Tapestries adorned the walls; scrolls of elegant calligraphy hung from nails. Wide windows showed the beautiful garden outside. It showcased white roses, tulips, and periwinkle morning glories. The lush vegetation waved in the wind with the content of a well-cared for garden. It was beautiful._

_Not to mention the house was huge. It was a mansion more than anything. A giant Japanese mansion, with a large garden in the back and a wide lawn full of lush green grass framed with several cherry blossom trees lining to pathway to the door. _

_"Nah. What they don't know won't hurt them!" Kisuke said._

_"WHAT?" Valencia jerked her arm out of his hand. "They DON'T know?"_

_Kisuke looked around. "Nope. Is that so bad?"_

_"YES. Maybe not for you, their son, but for me, a member of the lower class, it is very bad. Your family has power and prestige; I need to watch my step."_

_"You sound like an adult."_

_"You need to grasp these ideas! You're even older than me!"_

_"Stop your lecture. You're being boring. Besides, they're never around anyways."_

_Valencia stopped. "What?"_

_"They're never around. I have nurses and maids to care for me." Kisuke shrugged his thin shoulders. "And I get to pretty much do what I want. I usually don't go out of the castle grounds, though. I like to stay in here, and think."_

_"What? About what?" _

_Kisuke smiled and beckoned with his hand. "Follow me, and I'll show you."_

_He led her into a large room. It was packed and messy!: with junk, toys, an unmade bed, blankets and clothes scattered in piles randomly around._

_"This isn't what I would expect from a wealthy heir."_

_"Am I at all what you'd expect from a wealthy heir?" Kisuke pointed out._

_"That's true," Valencia admitted._

_"Nah, it's okay. The maids just haven't come in yet." Kisuke walked in the room, looking for something. He dug through several piles, then pulled out a paper._

_"Look!" He eagerly thrust it in Valencia's face. _

_"Wha?" It was a list. It had several random thoughts, with doodles on the edges. Valencia turned it sideways. _

_"I don't get it. Holes?"_

_"You must not know that much about shinigami."_

_"I know a little!"_

_"Well anyways, you'll get it later. The way it works is, shinigami and hollows are all descended from the same souls, right?"_

_"Yeah."_

_"So then, what's the difference?"_

_"Umm… one wants to kill everyone and lacks a heart, the other is pretty normal, like you and me. Oh, and there's also humans. They do their human thing."_

_"No, I mean the physical difference!"_

_"A heart?" "Yes." Kisuke's eyes shone brightly. "Just think, if we could break that wall that separates shinigami and hollows- think about what we could do!"_

_"I don't understand."_

_"I mean, if you could create a being that combines hollows AND shinigami. Give the hollow a heart, the shinigami a mask- voila! Think about it! There would be nothing they couldn't do. The hollows wouldn't want to hurt them, because they were part hollow. And they would have a conscience, and work like a shinigami-"_

_"That's an absolutely mad idea, Kisuke."_

_"You don't think it'll work."_

_"Not unless you're a mad genius."_

_"Hmm… I can see that."_

_"Me too- that's the scary thing."_

_As they traversed the long corridors of his house, it was then that it struck Valencia just how big his house was._

_Stupid little rich boy._

_She bit the inside of her cheek with jealousy. And he was an only child, to boot!_

_"Here we are!" Kisuke opened a door. Valencia walked in, curious._

_What she saw took her breath away._

_It was a vast room, with delicate, lacy curtains hanging from the windows. Piles of dolls, baby clothes, bows, and pink objects._

_"Whoa. But, Kisuke, this looks like a girl's room!"_

_Kisuke was silent. He suddenly looked shriveled._

_"It was my little sister's."_

_Valencia blinked, shocked. She tried to cover her stumble. "Oh, I see."_

_"She died two years ago."_

_She didn't say anything._

_"I'm sorry, Kisuke."_

_"That's what they all said." But in an instant, Kisuke straightened up and walked to the closet. He opened the door, revealing rows and rows of neatly hung kimonos and dresses._

_It was all Valencia could do not to stare and drool._

_"What are you doing with those?"_

_"Here, wear them." He threw a purple kimono at her. Valencia caught it, not understanding. _

_"Why are you giving them to me?"_

_"She was only a year younger than me, and she was nine… so I think they should fit you, anyways." Kisuke hurried, disguising his pause at the mention of his sister. _

_"Um, okay." Valencia looked it up and down._

_It was silky, lustrous, and shiny._

_"It matches your eyes," Kisuke said._

_"What?" Valencia asked._

_"They're both lavender."_


	27. Kisuke Urahara

okay everybody, please please review!! i added three new chapters today and now my comp is spazzing out. APPRECIATE IT!

btw, it was gone so long because i was having writer's block- on the next couple chapters. these were easy to write.

**Chapter Twenty Seven:**

**Kisuke Urahara**

"Ulquiorra, I want you to bring Nnoitra to me." Aizen commanded.

Ulquiorra obeyed.

Aizen was furious. He was furious. At Nnoitra. After his report, he'd watched his eyes slowly scrunch, his eyes narrow, and his smile slip off his face into a frown.

Nnoitra was in for it.

Ulquiorra knocked on Nnoitra's door. Tesla, his fraccion answered it.

"Ulquiorra-sama?" He looked surprised. "What are you-"

"Aizen wants Nnoitra. Immediately."

"Um, hang on- NNOITRA-SAMA!" Tesla yelled behind him.

"What?" Nnoitra walked over, scratching at his face. Then he saw Ulquiorra. He froze.

"Damn."

"_You WHAT?!" Valencia yelled. "You TOLD your parents that we were friends?!" She was fuming. _

_And about to beat Kisuke's face in. She just knew they would disapprove; she was nowhere near Kisuke's class. _

"_They were just fine about it. They just waved me off. They're pretty apathetic about me, so long as I don't come down with a disease or something." Kisuke said it cheerfully, but Valencia could hear the pain in his voice._

"_I'm sorry, Kisuke."_

"_It's okay."_

"_Kisuke, do you ever get lonely?" Valencia asked, suddenly._

"_What?" Kisuke looked dumbfounded by that one. "No."_

"_Ah, but you wouldn't know the difference, now would you?" _

"Nnoitra, I have entrusted you with a position of leadership among the Arrancar, and you have failed miserably. I am very disappointed in you. Seren was a guest, and you absolutely violated her in every way. You must be punished."

Aizen administered his judgment from atop his white throne. His eyes flashed sharply in the shadow. His face could not be seen.

Gin and Tousen, his constant followers, stood on opposite sides of the throne. The Espada were arranged in their order on the sides of the wall. There was no table this time, only a bare floor.

"I see you do not respect my authority. Therefore, you must think you are better than me."

"Wha-?" Nnoitra was surprised. "I didn't-"

"If you think you are better, prove it. Fight me."

"What?" Nnoitra was shocked.

From over on the corner, Ulquiorra was shocked, too.

But it felt good. He wanted to watch Nnoitra squeal and scream in agony, like he had done to Seren.

If he didn't have his level of control, he probably would have attacked Nnoitra already himself.

Aizen stepped off his throne, to everyone's growing concern and horror. Aizen grabbed his sword out of its hilt smoothly. "Well, Nnoitra? Draw your sword."

"Aizen-sama, please-"

"Too slow."

There was a flash of sword glinting in the light, then Aizen appeared behind Nnoitra. He sheathed his sword.

Nnoitra fell to the ground before he could even draw his zanpakutoh. A gash spurt across his chest, and he was gurgling blood in his throat.

"And now, Nnoitra, do you still think you can disobey me? Do you still think you are better than me?" Aizen now stood in front of Nnoitra. Nnoitra looked up, like a dog at its master.

Whose master was furious.

"N-No, Aizen-sama! I will never disobey you again!"

"Is that so?" A cruel smile slipped across Aizen's mouth. He pulled out Nnoitra's zanpakutoh. "I don't believe you."

He threw the sword on the ground and stepped on it. It started creaking and cracking.

Nnoitra howled. He screamed and screamed, while Aizen dug his foot even harder into the sword, almost smiling.

He was enjoying this, Ulquiorra realized. He was enjoying this.

Aizen let Nnoitra scream and writhe on the floor for a couple minutes.

"Well now, I think we all understand this. I am the leader here, and no one else. Nnoitra, you may go." Aizen turned and walked away.

As if on cue, everyone quickly exited, not wanting to be near the ghastly scene any longer. Tesla rushed to Nnoitra's side to attend to him. Nnoitra yelled something at him and whipped his arm away when Tesla tried to help him up.

How pathetic, Ulquiorra thought.

Trash.

He could feel Nnoitra's eyes radiating hate at him as he walked past him.

There was utter silence except for the pat, pat of his footsteps.

Pat, pat.

Pat, pat, pat.

Ulquiorra strode out the doors.

"_You WHAT?" Valencia was yelling at Kisuke- AGAIN. "Why is it that every time I see you you've done something else extremely radical!" She was fifteen then, and had her blonde hair braided into pigtails, looking like a typical teenage girl. Kisuke was sixteen, and had filled out a little bit. He was still lanky though, and still didn't bother to fix his ruffled hair._

"_I got us enrolled! This is good, Valencia!"_

"_I told you not to call me that! I hate that name. Call me by my middle name, Seren!"_

"_Whatever, I like Valencia better. And I'll call you anything I want!" Kisuke retorted. He folded his arms. "And what do you mean, 'extremely radical?'" _

"_I mean, that one time you told your parents that you were friends with me, took me to your family reunion, climbed in through my window that one night- do you know how long it took me to convince my parents that wasn't anything weird?- that one time you threw me a surprise birthday party-"_

"_You gotta admit, you liked that one!" Kisuke pointed out. "You should at least appreciate all the effort I put into that!"_

_Valencia paused, smiling. "Yeah, I did like that. Except for that stupid present you got me. I didn't need an expensive kimono."_

"_Money doesn't mean much to me. But if it makes you happy, it might as well go to a better use." Kisuke replied._

_Again, an awkward silence. _

_Those had been happening more and more often, since Kisuke and Valencia had passed their thirteenth birthdays. An awkward feeling, that left them feeling full of strange emotions. It felt like something had been left unsaid._

"_So… you got yourself enrolled in the shinigami academy?"_

"_Yeah. You too!" He waved the papers around excitedly, like a child with a shiny new toy. _

"_How did you get me enrolled?" _

"_Anyone with a shinigami ability can."_

"_But I don't remember showing anyone my abilities- wait. You didn't."_

_Kisuke looked to the side, shifting his eyes the other way._

"_YOU PAID FOR ME TO GO?!" Valencia swelled, then exploded loudly at him. "Now EVERYONE'S going to think I'm just some kind of wallflower! And besides, you KNOW I can't pay you back! Why do you do this to yourself?"_

"_But you aren't a wallflower, Valencia! You DO have spirit pressure! And the money- well, I didn't want to go without you!" Kisuke burst out exasperatedly. _

_Then he froze, shocked it had come out. He looked to the side again, not wanting to meet Valencia's shocked gaze._

"_What?"_

_Kisuke ignored her._

"_You would pay for me to go just so I was there for you?"_

_Kisuke braced himself for the outburst._

"_Thank you." _

_He turned around, surprised._

"_What?"_

_Valencia ignored him. She took the papers from his hand, and tucked them under her arm. "You got the uniform, too?"_

"_Yeah." Kisuke was still in shock. Where was her fury? "When do we start?" She asked._

"_In a month."_

"_WHAT?!"_

When Ulquiorra returned to the room, he found that Mila Rose, Apache, Kimi, and Sunsun were all sleeping in a circle around Seren, who was still unconscious on the couch. She was in clean clothes, perhaps Kimi's, cleaned up, and looked a great deal better than she had before. But more than that, she looked protected- safe- in the middle of the circle around her.

It was again, a strange sight. It pulled at that something deep in him.

No matter.

"Mila Rose, Apache, Sunsun. You need to go back to Halibel. She will be missing you soon." He commanded.

Mila Rose rolled over. "Huh-?" She muttered. She looked around. "Oh my, I fell asleep! I wasn't supposed to!" She turned around and pushed at Apache, waking her up.

"What the hell?" She muttered, rubbing her eye. "Why are we up?"

"You can go now. I will watch her." Ulquiorra replied.

Apache's head whipped around, to look at him.

"Oh."

They woke up Sunsun and left as three.

Kimi looked up. "So I guess I should go too?"

"Yes."

For a moment her golden eyes met his, seeming to simmer. Then they softened and gave way. She was too tired to resist.

"Very well." She got up, looked at Seren one more time, then raced away.

Ulquiorra watched her go, then closed his door.

Oh, that's right. There was a huge hole in the middle of it, where Nnoitra had no doubt broken in. Ulquiorra sighed.

He was going to have to order a new door- again.

For once though, he was exhausted.

He was tired of calculations, missions, orders, and his life in general. He looked at Seren on the couch. She was breathing.

For a moment, he was surprised to discover that he wished she would wake up.

No, that was wrong. She was loud, annoying, and disrupting. She broke the pattern that he liked, the comfortable pattern of behavior that everyone should follow. She was also unruly and unpredictable, traits he particularly disliked.

But at the same time, she was interesting, lively, and- strangely- her presence brought him the merest glint of joy.

It was strange.


	28. Rhinos, Frogs, and Rabaeth, Oh My!

Okay, I have a big problem- tomorrow i might be going to my uncle's place for a week- that means no updates. sorry guys! i might not even be going though, so don't get your knickers in a twist.

**Chapter Twenty Eight:**

**Rhinos, Frogs, and Rabaeth, Oh My!**

"_Today, we're working on claiming and releasing our zanpakutoh. The essential spirit sword of a shinigami, it is their main weapon. The sword is actually a reflection of the inner soul, or the alter ego or guardian of oneself. The sword varies from person to person, as the alter ego or guardian…"_

_Valencia sighed, bored. She looked at Kisuke, who was actually looking alertly at the professor as she lectured on the properties of the zanpakutoh. They were in a large auditorium, reminiscent of a college classroom. _

_She wished Kisuke would stop listening so she could talk to him._

_He was three seats down from her. In between there was a young blonde girl, and a tall, dark-haired boy. _

_Valencia sighed and played with her bangs lazily. This really was so boring._

"… _And so, I'd like everyone to try to release their shikai. First, you must meditate so you can communicate with it." Valencia looked around, confused as everyone around her stood up, and walked down the stairs. She sighed, then followed._

_She sat down on the floor, next to the tall dark-haired boy. He was a good friend, and very funny. A typical class clown. He joked with her a lot._

_Kisuke maintained that he liked her. She told him very funny._

"_Oh yeah, Valencia, I bet I'll get a huge rhino for a zanpakutoh! That would be great!" He was busy mimicking a rhino, with exaggerated arm waves and faking he had a horn._

"_Shut up, Darth." The petite blonde next to him said. "I'm trying to concentrate. And you'll probably get a butterfly for your zanpakutoh!" "And you'll get a great big, fat frog for yours, Hiyori!" Darth countered._

"_Darth, please quiet down. People are trying to concentrate," the teacher yelled from across the room._

_Hiyori smirked at Darth, who muttered under his breath. "Teacher's pet."_

_Valencia sighed. She sank into the teacher's instructions, concentrating._

"_Now, everyone, breathe in, breathe out. Deeply, slowly. Count to ten. Now sink into the back of your mind…"_

_Gradually her words faded out as Valencia closed her eyes and let her mind drift. It kept getting stuck on the end of the year graduation. It was the big party of the year, with dates, dinners, dancing, ceremony, and graduation for the first years. Valencia couldn't believe she'd almost been here a year. It sure didn't feel like that._

_She noticed a bright light out of the corner of her eye. In her mind, she turned around to look at it closer, but it evaded her grasp. Frustrated, she followed it stubbornly. Stop running away! She thought._

"_Alright, then." The light suddenly flared in a burst. Valencia watched, shocked._

_Out of the bright white light, a man in a white shinigami uniform stepped out of the light, as if by magic._

_Valencia froze, shocked, unable to think._

"_My name is Rabaeth," the man said. "And I am your zanpakutoh."_

_Valencia stared, wide-eyed, goggling like a fish out of water. "W-what? Rabeath?"_

"_Yes, but you mustn't tell anyone else what my name is. You will call me Fuerda. If anyone gains control of my name, they will have control over your powers."_

"_My powers?" Valencia asked. "What powers?"_

"_You will see." His eyes twinkled. "Call me," he said. "Say my name."_

Seren tossed and turned on the couch. She was sweating fiercely, and her hands were balled into fists.

Ulquiorra turned around and walked to her side.

"Seren…?"

Seren's eyes opened wide as she gasped.

"Rabaeth!"

"_Fuerda!" Suddenly, a long cross-like sword appeared in Valencia's hands. She looked at it, shocked. She looked around. "F-fuerda!"_

_The teacher turned around. "A-amazing!" She cheered. "You already got it!"_

Call my name again. Count to seven.

"_Fuerda! Ichi, nii, san, shi, go-"_

_The room erupted. The floor started rumbling, flames appeared out of the air and danced around Valencia. The air whipped viciously, as the other students in the room stood, shocked. _

"_Oh no! She's releasing! Valencia, stop, it isn't safe-"_

"_Roku, sh'chi!" Valencia screamed. The sword plunged into the ground, and the entire auditorium was engulfed in a burning circle. _

_Everything slowed. The wind stopped blowing, the flames extinguished, and the floor started rippling, like a massive sheet._

_The air suddenly grew heavy as molten lead, swirling in eddies of weight. Everyone found it hard to breathe._

_Valencia looked up, shocked._

"_Valencia. Breathe. Breathe, relax. Pull your sword out of the ground…" The teacher instructed calmly. _

_She panicked._

_Screaming, she yelled "Fuerda" and suddenly the world was dark…_

_Then it was light again. Valencia looked up. All of her classmates opened their eyes, astounded. _

"_Look." Darth said. "Everything's in black and white." He pointed to the background. It was true. All of their surroundings were in black and white; but the students themselves were in color. They were someplace new._

_Valencia recognized it as the 13__th__ Rukongai. _

_She looked around, shocked, to find Kisuke also staring at her with shock._

"_Valencia…?" He asked._

_Suddenly a pair of kids came running from the faded background. They laughed as they chased each other. It was like watching an old movie._

"_That's not fair!" The girl yelled. "You're older!"_

"_Nah, nah, nah!" The boy teased. "It's because you're a slowpoke!" _

_The girl gave chase again, and the boy ran away, laughing. _

Count down from seven to one.

"_Sh'chi, roku, go, shi, san, nii, ichi-" Valencia started-_

_Immediately she felt a rush as though being pulled through dimensions. The floor stopped rippling, the air grew weightless again, and color flowed back into everything._

_Valencia yanked her zanpakutoh out of the ground. She panted. _

_Darth looked at her. "Wh-wh-what was that?"_

"_I don't know." Valencia stared straight ahead, shocked. _

_She looked up at Kisuke, who stared back at her._

_They both knew what the other was thinking._

_How had they been able to witness their past, something that had happened several years ago?_

Kimi sighed for what felt like the thousandth time.

She had run into Ulquiorra, and asked him if Seren had woken up yet.

"No," he'd said simply, then continued on his way, leaving Kimi with unanswered questions.


	29. Being an Evil Genius is NOT Cool

**Chapter Twenty Nine:**

**The President Is a Joke**

"_You WHAT?" Again, all it seemed that Valencia ever did was yell at Kisuke._

"_Jeez! You could just say no!" He flared back at her._

"_Who do you think you are kidding? You like that Yoruichi girl."_

"_So? You like that Ukitake guy, your teacher. He's old! That's creepy." Kisuke countered. "Besides, Yoruichi would never go with me! She's royalty."_

"_Wow. So, am I your second choice or backup plan?" Valencia said bitterly. "Besides, Ukitake is a great man, and he is not old!" _

"_You're stupid."_

"_So are you." _

_The couple brooded separately, in their own silence. The graduation ceremony was a week away, and students were pairing up to go together. There would be a dance afterwards, a banquet beforehand, and a listing of graduates and the handing out of diplomas. _

_It was the end of their two years at the shinigami academy._

"_So you don't want to go with me?" Kisuke finally broke the silence. "Fine." He turned to walk away._

"_Wait!" Valencia called._

_Kisuke stopped, and turned around._

_She could have sworn there was a spark of cockiness in his eye._

_Damn you, Kisuke Urahara._

"_I… I'll go, _I guess_." Valencia muttered._

"_What was that?" Kisuke humorously put his hand behind his ear. "What was that? I couldn't hear you."_

"_I said I'll go with you to the graduation!" Valencia yelled, face red, embarrassed._

_Damn you, Kisuke Urahara._

_The dance was beautiful, with a classical theme of traditional Japanese dress. All the girls wore brilliant kimonos; all the boys wore hakatama pants and robes. _

_Valencia showed up with her blonde hair neatly braided and wrapped in a bun, with several green butterfly clips. Her kimono showed butterflies in a delicate blend of lavendar, green, black and gold. Of course, Kisuke had gotten it for her. Although he didn't put in any effort for himself. His hair was undone as usual, his hakatama pants looked wrinkled like they'd been sitting on the floor for a long time, and his robe was ruffled. Valencia looked the wealthy heir here, not him. He looked scruffy. _

_They ran into Darth and Hiyori, who had gone together by some random chance of luck. However, they were a bad match and were awkward around each other. They mostly avoided the other the whole night._

_The actual graduation seemed to drag on forever as a ridiculously long list of graduates was recited. It was very boring, actually._

_The banquet was okay, she decided. It could have been worse. If all else failed, it'd had good sushi._

_But the dance was amazing. For a moment, Valencia almost felt like princess, with the glowing paper lanterns swaying in the moonlight. Colored streamers and ribbons festooned the ceiling. A string quartet featuring western instruments (which made no sense as it was a traditional Japanese theme) was also there, playing the music._

_For a while, Valencia danced with her friends, while Kisuke went and did… whatever Kisuke did. She honestly didn't know._

"_Woot! Go Hiyori!" A circle of people were gathered around ,watching Hiyori dance. She was quite good. The crowd cheered and yelled as she moved to the furious fiddle music playing in the background._

_Valencia laughed and joined the circle. She booed with everyone else when the song ended and the quartet played a slower piece. Hiyori stopped, panting. _

"_That was great, Hiyori-chan!" Valencia cheered. "I didn't know you could dance like that."_

"_Surprised?" Hiyori smiled. "Ha." _

_A moment later a hand grabbed Valencia's shoulder and pulled her away. "EEK!" She shrieked, losing balance and falling backwards. She crashed into a pair of lanky arms that held her tight, catching her. "Owwch," she muttered._

"_Jeez. Stickytoes, huh?" Kisuke teased. _

"_Shut up! It was you that pulled me backwards!" Valencia retorted, immediately freeing herself of his embrace. She brushed off her shoulder. "What do you want, anyways?"_

"_What's with that attitude, Val-Val?" Kisuke pouted. "I thought we were dates."_

"_Strictly speaking," Valencia deadpanned._

"_Oh, how mean. I was going to ask you to dance with me."_

"_Is that so?" _

_Before she could protest further, Kisuke had grabbed her and started to waltz with her gently to the string quartet in the background._

"_Let go of me." _

"_No." Kisuke smiled at her, countering Valencia's stubborn pout. "You know, the theme was my idea?"_

"_You mean, like every other graduation ceremony's theme? They are all like this."_

"_Ah, but they don't have western string quartets. That was my idea." Kisuke said with pride. "And as class president, I got it."_

"_The class elected you as a joke," Valencia said heartlessly._

"_Ah, you're so mean to me, Val-chan." _

"_I told you not to call me that," Valencia lectured. _

"_Don't be such a stiff. Even your dancing is stiff."_

"_Shut up. Not being stiff would mean actually moving with you."_

"_What's that supposed to mean?"_

"_It means I don't want to dance with you."_

_For a moment they rocked slowly, awkwardly. Valencia forced herself to relax. Again, that fierce, wild beating of her heart ignited, like it had lately when she saw Kisuke. It was nerve wracking- but she sort of enjoyed it. _

_Kisuke moved her closer to him, and Valencia let her head rest against his collarbone. Only for a moment, she thought. _

_Just for a moment._

_The next morning, Valencia received her reports that she was to go in for shinigami chair testing._

"_How'd you do?" Hiyori and Darth dropped in behind Valencia as she read over her results. _

"_I got a 90% on the written." _

"_85%," said Hiyori._

"_79%," Darth muttered. _

"_Ha!" Hiyori pointed her finger at him rudely. "That's cuz you're stupid!"_

"_Shut up!" Darth argued._

"_Well, anyways," Valencia sighed, "I got a 60% on the offensive marks, though. It was pretty bad. But on the bright side, apparently my defense is incredible- 99%- because of sh'chi… haha because I just create a portal to race through. I win!" _

"_80%" Hiyori replied._

"_90%" Darth turned around. "HA!" He pointed at Hiyori. "NOW who's stupid?" _

"_Shut up, you stupid idiot!" Hiyori yelled back._

_Valencia sighed again and rubbed her forehead. Honestly._

"_Well, besides that crazy Yoruichi Shihouin girl, we were the highest in the whole class!" Darth said, proudly. "Haha!"_

"_Huh, is that so?" _

_Kisuke suddenly appeared behind all of them._

"_EEK!" Valencia shrieked, dropping her results. "KISUKE URAHARA!" She yelled. _

"_Ooh, I see. I got a 100%," Kisuke said, smugly. _

"_On what?" Hiyori asked._

"_Everything."_

_All three of them stopped and stared at Kisuke, wide-eyed and open-mouthed._

"_B-b-but, that's like, captain level!" Darth stuttered._

"_He probably cheated," Valencia deduced coldly._

"_Aww, Val-Val-chan, you really are so cruel to me." Kisuke said. "Really."_

"_I told you to not to call me that…" Valencia's voice dropped as she gave up. Really, there could be nothing done to help Kisuke. _

"_You should just give up," Hiyori suggested. _

"_I know." _

"_Really? Fifth division?" Darth asked. "Wow. That's really great, Hiyori. And so fast. I didn't think you were nearly that talented."_

"_You should shut up now," Hiyori warned. "I'm your superior now."_

"_So? I'm of the sixth division. We're not that far away!" Darth retorted. _

"_I heard that Yoruichi girl was promoted to second division captain!" Valencia said. "Since the former captain was… er…"_

"_She was killed a week ago," Kisuke said disinterestedly. He curled his hair around his finger._

"_I was hesitating to think of a delicate way to put it. You're just rude," Valencia said dryly._

"_Urahara, what about you?" Hiyori looked at him, seeming bored. That is, probably faking disinterest- only because he'd done better than her._

"_Oh, I'm, uh… third chair of the second division, I think?" Kisuke scratched his head. "I think." _

"_Wow." Darth said dryly._

"_So you're under Yoruichi? Wow. You probably like that." Valencia said bitterly._

"_Val-val, you're my one and only, and you know that!" Kisuke cooed._

"_What is it with you and all the damn nicknames?" Valencia yelled at him._

_It was three years later._

_Hiyori had been promoted to vice captain of the twelfth division, and for some reason, enjoyed beating up on the fifth division captain, Hirako Shinji._

_Valencia had been promoted to vice captain of the sixth division._

_News of young and rising stars from the new class- Soi Fon of the second division, and the calm and mild-mannered Sousuke Aizen, who was immediately made vice captain of the fifth division, an unusual happening._

_Darth had been killed in a battle by a Menos Grande while defending one of his comrades._

_At first Valencia had been thrown off by it, but after a while, it all blended together. As vice captain, she watched the shinigami she had been given authority over die in her arms. She would meet new people one morning and hear about them being killed by that night. _

_It was worse with Kisuke._

_It was like he'd sunk into madness. He was officer of the 'detention unit' in the second division- or, for dangerous shinigami. He could fend off mad prisoners five times his size. Yet, even as they tried to rip his throat out, he believed he could use them._

"_Just think, Valencia, if we could find a way to use them. They could be incredibly powerful assets."_

_He grew 'interested'- almost obsessed- with one particular prisoner._

_Mayuri Kurotsuchi._

_He occupied a cell, locked up by himself, because he was so dangerous- intelligent. Kisuke had actually taken Valencia with him to visit Mayuri._

"_He's really quite amazing," Kisuke said. "He's the only one who truly understands my ideas- he alone also dares to stretch his imagination like me. He is definitely a genius."_

"_Kisuke, don't be crazy. He is locked up in a separate cell. He is too dangerous to even be loose in this prison."_

"_Don't be silly, Valencia." He'd waved her off, and shown her to Mayuri Kurotsuchi. _

_Personally, Valencia had been terrified. Mayuri didn't even looked human. He had a strangely painted face, and knobs instead of ears._

_Like some kind of perilous machine._

_Kisuke was also working on his idea, the one he had shown her when he'd first met her over ten years ago. His soul-changer._

"_I will call it 'Hougyoku,' he said. "Imagine it. A device that could break the lines separating shinigami and hollow."_

_He often stayed late, studying hollows in the twelfth division's lab, taking notes. Valencia felt like she didn't even know him anymore._

"_I'm afraid you're going mad, Kisuke."_

"_I'm just fine, Valencia. Don't be so stiff. Just think about the possibilities. Just think about what we could do."_

_Valencia knocked on the door. "Hello?" She called through the paper screen. "Kisuke?" _

_No answer._

_She huffed and gathered herself._

_BAM. Her foot burst through the door, knocking it off its hold and crashing it to the ground. It landed on a figure laying stretched out on the floor._

"_OUCH!" The figure yelped, rubbing his head. "Oh! It's Val-Val!" His face automatically broke out in a cheery smile. "It's good to see you! But isn't it a little late?"_

"_By your standards maybe," Valencia replied, arms folded. "But that's not important. There's something you should know. I've been promoted."_

"_Ooh! To what?" Kisuke asked. "A captain?"_

"_No." Her words suddenly became heavy, and she looked to the side. "I've been promoted to division zero."_

_Silence._

"_You've been promoted to the royal guard?" Kisuke's eyes widened. "Wow, and I thought third seat was special."_

"_Kisuke."_

"_Let's have some tea."_

"_Mhm. How about you let me do it. You always burn the tea or something."_

"_How do you burn tea?" Kisuke asked, scandalized. _

"_I don't know how, but you manage." Valencia deadpanned. "Oh, and one more thing. You need to shave."_

_Kisuke felt his jaw. "What's the big deal? It's just a little five-o'clock shadow. I think it looks good on me."_

"_If you call looking like an outlaw good." Valencia pronounced. "I told you, with your ruffled hair and with your eyes always in shadow, you already look like a shady character. And if you add stubble, you look like a really seedy guy. You'll be kicked out of Seireitei because people will think you're some kind of robber who sneaked in past the guards." _

"_Oi, Val-Val, why are you so cruel to me?" Kisuke whined._

"_Shut up," she replied. _

_Five minutes later, they sat down at the table with their tea._

"_Soo..?" Kisuke asked. "What's with the promotion?"_

"_I… reached bankai today with Ukitake. When I go there, I can… see the future. Only things that have already been decided, though." Valencia looked emptily at her cup._

"_You what? Future?" Kisuke raised an eyebrow. "So now you're a fortune teller?"_

"_This isn't a laughing matter, Kisuke! Stop making fun of me! They promoted me because I was termed 'extreme special abilities' cuz I can change the past." _

_Kisuke didn't reply, only looked at her thoughtfully. "But wouldn't that change the future?"_

"_And present, and it is very dangerous. It could create a loop- when you're trapped in a cycle of time because something wouldn't have happened unless you had interfered- and if you've changed it, you might not interfere. See? Ukitake cautioned me from using it." Valencia said. "They also decided I was too valuable to lose, and so have removed me from the battle field."_

"_Well that's stupid. Aren't you a shinigami to fight?"_

"_No!" At this Valencia broke. "THEY'LL PROBABLY MAKE ME DO A BUNCH OF STUPID INFORMATION GATHERING MISSIONS! I WON'T let them take me off the battlefield! I want to FIGHT! I'm not TOTALLY helpless!"_

"_You could have refused the royal guard, you know." Kisuke said dryly._

_Valencia rolled her eyes. "No. And do you even know what it means to be a royal guard?"_

"_You get to do special stuff?"_

"_I'm vice captain of the special abilities division of the royal guard."_

"_You got promoted that fast, huh?" _

"_Kisuke, you don't get it. Watch."_

_She pulled out her sword._

"_Kisuke, you don't get it. Watch." _

"_Whatever," Kisuke said. "But let me clean up first. I spilled my tea." His eyebrows crinkled together. "Wait, what?" He looked down, surprised. "Why do I suddenly get the feeling of déjà vu?" _

"_See? I just did it. I went back in time and made you spill your tea a second ago. Do you remember spilling your tea?"_

"_I remember having it spilled on me… wait what?" Kisuke was confused._

"_Exactly. And you didn't see me release because I froze time instantly so you didn't even notice."_

"_Wow. That's really something."_

"_Ha. I knew I wasn't just a burnout after all."_

"_Mhm. So, how's the fam?" Kisuke asked nonchalantly._

_Valencia suddenly froze. "I… I haven't seen them in a while. I should probably go visit…"_

"_Ah, that's true. Family relations are important. Your little sister is almost like my little sister."_

"_Mhm." Valencia smiled gently, then drank the tea._

"_Valencia, do you love me?"_

_It came unexpectedly, as usual._

_Valencia swallowed her tea, and then choked. She coughed wildly for a minute, pounding herself in the chest. _

"_Don't hurt yourself," Kisuke said, totally unconcerned._

_Valencia stopped coughing and glared at him. "You know that relations like that between shinigami are forbidden."_

"_Since when did I care for rules?"_

"_You're always so damn logical."_

"_Mhm." Kisuke smiled. "So, do you?"_

_Valencia's eyes shifted to the side, avoiding his gaze. "I'm afraid I can't. As part of the royal guard, I'll basically be very busy and stuff, and they'll probably lock me up. There's really no- time or space."_

"_You can manipulate time and space."_

_Valencia stood up. This was getting too awkward. "Actually, I have to go now," she said, setting her cup down. She got up, walked to the door, and turned to leave._

"_Why are you making excuses?" She froze as he got up from his chair, walked over to her, and embraced her. _

_She let her head rest back against his shoulder, just for a moment._

_Just for a moment._


	30. Why Do I Always Get the Whack Jobs?

well, it's been about a hundred degrees over here (LITERALLY) and i barely got any sleep last night cuz i didn't have a fan. i apologize in advance if this chapter is grammatically challenged.

**Chapter Thirty:**

**Why Do I Always Get the Whack Jobs?**

"_It's been a while." Kisuke said, with his usual sense of humor. His zanpakutoh was in his hands. He was back-to-back with Valencia. "So how did they get you involved in this, anyways?"_

"_They want me to see the future. It's the only way to really defeat this thing. At the same time, I gotta keep it from killing everyone, including myself. But they pretty much just want me to figure out how it works, tell you, and then step on the sidelines."_

"_Is that what you plan to do?" Kisuke asked._

"_Hell no!" She cried. "Do you know how long it's been since I've gotten a really good fight?" _

"_That's what I wanted to hear!" Kisuke gave her his happy loopy face._

"_You're stupid." She replied. "But anyways, what's the stats on this thing?"_

"_Um… let's see. It thinks like a human and talks. Plus it's kinda creepy. It's almost like… a shinigami. Plus it can use portals, like you. And I've been getting feelings of déjà vu. It's a good thing they sent you, Valencia. It's already taken down four vice captains, most of the eleventh division, and there are two captains on their way. You're the only one who has a chance with this."_

"_Déjà vu?" _

"_Yeah. Like when you manipulated that tea cup thing."_

"_I hope it's not like you're implying."_

"_What if it is?"_

"_Damn." _

_Valencia blinked, shaking her head. "Anyways, why is it attacking seireitei?"_

"_It thinks. Ask it!" Kisuke suggested. "Or perhaps, because it's such a high-level hollow, it needs more powerful souls for a supply. Or maybe it's just stupid and actually wants to get itself killed. There's always that option."_

"_You can make a joke out of any situation Kisuke, you know that?" _

"_That's just what I do." He smiled._

"_Let's go." _

"_It went this way. Follow me." Kisuke led the way, using shunpo. _

"_Gotcha." Valencia sped after him. When they broke through to the clearing in the forest, Valencia froze._

_The hollow was… stunning._

_It looked like a human, and in fact, looked more familiar than most. He grinned at them- she supposed it was a he- and pulled out a sword. He had dark brown-black hair, and his eyes were black, with lavendar irises. A mask covered his face, with two twisting horns curling out of the sides of its head._

"_What?" Valencia paused, stunned._

"_I told you it looked like a human."_

"_Damn." _

"_Too much talking," it- he- said, smiling. "You are of no interest to me," he said to Kisuke. Then he turned to Valencia. "But you are. I am looking for someone who looks like you. Someone who has my same powers?"_

"_Define same powers." Valencia said dryly. _

_Suddenly, Kisuke surged forward, a gash open in his shoulder. He hit the ground, shocked. "What the hell?!" He yelled._

"_He wasn't kidding." Valencia said. _

"_What'd he do?"_

"_He froze time and hit you."_

"_Why didn't he kill me?"_

"_Simple. Time-benders can't do that." _

_Kisuke was really confused now. "What?"_

"_If we could, wouldn't I have killed that one mean teacher by now? It would create one of those time loops. And at least it's smart enough not to try that."_

"_Ah. So he can slice me up until I die?"_

"_Yeah. Pretty much."_

"_How come you never told me this?"_

"_Because no one can know. And besides, I thought I was the only one that could do this. I've been banned from changing the past."_

"_That dumb loop thing?"_

"_Yep."_

"_Huh. Well then, how'd this schmo get powers like that?"_

"_Schmo? What's that supposed to mean?" The hollow asked, sounding hurt. _

"_It means you're not supposed to have them." Valencia told it simply._

"_Well that's too bad. I get it from you," it smirked. _

"_What?" Kisuke asked. "Valencia?"_

_Valencia looked just as bewildered as him. _

"_What? I guess master didn't tell you. He borrowed some of your DNA in his experiments." The hollow stared at them, a demented grin on his face. "I guess that makes me your son in a way?"_

_Valencia gritted her teeth, then looked at Kisuke._

"_Who?"_

_The thing grinned. "Who? Master?"_

"_Who is it? Tell me!"_

_It grinned. "Make me."_

_Valencia unsheathed her zanpakutoh. "Unfortunately, Kisuke, I'm going to have to ask you to stay out of this." _

"_Wh-what?" Kisuke blurted. "Definitely not!"_

"_I don't want you getting yourself killed," she said. "The only one who has a chance with this is someone with powers like it. And so far the only candidate is me. If I need you, I will let you know."_

"_Wow. That's cheap." Kisuke pouted._

_Valencia turned around to smile at him. "Don't forget, Kisuke. I've been training for fights just as long as you have. Trust me. I can do this."_

_Kisuke smiled back at her, though emptily._

_In his heart, he had a bad feeling about this that he couldn't shake off._

"_And remember, Kisuke. Don't trust what your eyes tell you."_

_She turned away from him._

"_Fuerda. Sh'chi."_

_The thing smiled at her. "I can do that too, you know. Fuerda. Sh'chi." His sword was identical to Valencia's._

"_Damn you. You're just some lab experiment run amuck." Valencia said. _

"_It's all your fault. It's your DNA. If I'd had any choice, Fuerda would have been a little bit more decorative." _

"_Well then."_

_Kisuke watched, astounded. _

_What was happening?_

_Both shinigami and hollow simply stood, watching each other. Then their forms flickered- for just a moment- and then they reappeared. _

_Two trees crashed, sliced apart, and a piece of Kisuke's hair fell, cut off. Kisuke looked at it, dumbstruck. He couldn't even see the battle. It was all taking place in limbo, in the space between time._

"_Stay away from him. It's the two of us." Valencia said. _

"_Well then. Aren't you just protective." It smirked. "Whatever you say, mother."_

"_Stop calling me that!" Valencia shrieked. "BANKAI!"_

"_Aha! BANKAI!" The hollow laughed, madly. _

_Suddenly, a strange feeling of déjà vu. He could have sworn Valencia had said something to him. "Leave, Kisuke."_

_But that was impossible. He clearly remembered that she hadn't called him._

_But if she could bend time, could he really trust his memory?_

"_Dammit, Kisuke." She appeared out of nowhere, and grabbed him. A sword appeared where he had just been._

"_That's not fair!" The hollow said._

"_Hey!" Kisuke yelled. "How did you know what I was going to do?"_

"_I saw that you hesitated and got killed, so I changed the past, when I was in the future, so that would be the present." Valencia said, panting. "This is exhausting."_

_Fuerda descended on Valencia's shoulder. It sliced into it, and Valencia dropped to her knees, blood spurting from her shoulder. She turned around, shocked._

"_Ha. And you thought I wouldn't see that. I have the same abilities, you know." The hollow grinned at her, laughing. _

_It was like some sick chess game. The exact same pieces, only different players._

"_Damn. I never was very good at chess," Valencia said._

"_Huh. That so? Too bad, because I'm supposed to get rid of you. Master doesn't want you interfering with his plans." _

"_Ah. That's why you're a hollow. I guess he was interested in my powers, though."_

"_Yeah. 'Extremely interesting,' he says. He wants to use them. And to kill you, he needed someone with your powers. So, he takes a dash of your DNA, and creates me. Ain't it just a doll?" _

"_Die, G-"_

"_Shi."_

"_Go!" Before she could stop herself, Valencia knew he knew that she was going to attack with fire, and summoned water. The flames were extinguished immediately. _

_This was really annoying._

_But she knew he couldn't see the future unless she'd decided it._

_So then, all she had to do was keep changing her mind._

_She dropped Kisuke-_

_There was loud scream-_

_The hollow laughed-_

_And Valencia reappeared again, screaming. She was spitting and pulling at her face. _

_It had only been a second._

"_Valencia? VALENCIA!" Kisuke yelled, rushing to her side._

"_GET- AWAY-" she yelled, eyes wild. _

_He felt like a thousand pounds of iron had hit him right in the gut._

_Valencia was turning into a hollow. Somehow, the hollow had gotten a hold of her, and won. But where was it?_

_The hollow appeared, shrieking, Fuerda speared through its chest._

"_What the hell?"_

"_Hard to predict if I haven't made up my mind, huh?" Valencia sneered. _

"_But you're going to die too." It gurgled._

"_Yeah, and that was how I could lure you in. By making myself bait. And you couldn't know that I was going to attack you because I hadn't decided yet." She smiled at it, a psychotic grin marring her face, as a mask started to form over it. "Only I could get rid of you, and as officer of the special abilities division of the royal guard, it was my duty. At any cost."_

"_That's too late. I have already achieved my mission. You are turning into a hollow." _

"_What?" Kisuke didn't understand anything. What was happening?_

"_Why does he want me as a hollow?" She asked._

"_Because I told him that if I fought you, I would get killed. I've already sent your reiatsu to him, so he'll be able to track you in Hueco Mundo. He doesn't want those powers gone, yet, mind you. You're 'extremely interesting.'" _

"_Huh. That's so cheap."_

"_I'd say brilliant."_

"_Perhaps. Damn you… A-a-" Suddenly Valencia curled over, screaming. _

_The hollow disappeared into little flecks as it died. _

"_Valencia?" Kisuke touched her shoulder-_

_She turned around. A grotesque mask with double curling horns that emerged out of the side of her head. She had black eyes with golden irises._

_She looked just like the hollow she had just killed._

_So it _had_ been created from her DNA, then._

_The hollow screeched at Kisuke, showing a row of large teeth. Then it disappeared without a second move._

_Kisuke was left standing there, in shock._

"_Valencia," he whispered._

_There was only the lonely blowing of the wind in the trees. He heard the two captains rushing towards him. _

_They had finally gotten here._

_Yoruichi Shihouin and Shinji Hirako appeared. They looked around, shocked._

"_Kisuke?"_

_But he couldn't answer, all he could do was stare at the ground, emptily._

'_Don't forget, Kisuke. I've been training for fights just as long as you have. Trust me. I can do this.'_

Urahara bolted up, waking from his dream. He panted, cold sweat soaking his bed sheets. He looked at his hands. They wouldn't stop shaking.

For a moment all he did was pant.

He looked out the window. It was still dark- the moon was high in the sky. It was the middle of the night.

Then for a moment, a tear slipped from his eye. He watched it fall, dumbstruck.

It had been a long time since he had thought about her.


	31. Hougyoku

**Chapter Thirty One:**

**Hougyoku**

_Seren looked at Rabaeth. "I… I remember now. It was Aizen, wasn't it? He planned the whole thing out. That was how he could track me through all of Hueco Mundo, and he could identify me. That's how he knew to send Nnoitra and Ulquiorra to go capture me. No wonder he knew that my memories were screwed with. He did it all. He did it all, Rabaeth!" She clenched her fists with useless anger. How could he? How could he destroy her life without so much as a hint of remorse?_

"_That's not the end, Valencia. There's more." _

_Valencia looked up. "What?"_

"_You forget this is Kisuke we're talking about. He didn't know what happened that night, but he knew what hollow you were. He tried to bring you back with a primitive form of the Hougyoku."_

"_What? But he couldn't!"_

"_You're saying this about the man who created the Hougyoku?" Rabaeth raised an eyebrow. "That's surprising."_

"_He wouldn't. I know he wouldn't."_

"_Again, coming from someone who believed she had parents in Hueco Mundo. Hush and remember."_

_She opened her eyes._

"_Val- Valencia?" A familiar pair of shady-looking eyes thrown in shadow peeked down at her. _

_She looked up, and spoke._

"_Oh. Kisuke."_

_He broke out in a smile. He had deep bags under his eyes, his hair was disheveled, his shoulders slumped, and he looked all around like he'd been carrying some large burden. _

"_Geez, what'd you do to yourself, Kisuke? You look terrible." She croaked. She looked around. She was in Kisuke's house. Sitting up, the woman rubbed her head. She looked at her hand, surprised. "Wait. Hang on." Her hair was no longer the vibrant blonde it had been. It was dark now, and longer. _

"…_Kisuke?" She looked at him, confused. "Why am I-?"_

"_Sit down, Valencia. You might go into shock."_

"_What?" She got up, unsteady on her feet. "What are you talking about?" _

_He rushed to her side. "I said sit down, Valencia." He tried to force her down, but panic was already flooding her veins._

"_N-No!" She yelled. She ripped herself from his hands and raced to the mirror in the bathroom._

_Two horns arced out of her head; long dark hair spilled over her shoulder; a large hole was in the middle of her chest. _

_All she could do was sputter._

_She was a hollow. _

For the sixth night in a row, Seren lay, still sleeping. She hadn't moved or spoke since Nnoitra's attack- excluding the strange 'Rabaeth' incident.

Kimi had come asking to see her. Ulquiorra had coldly replied that nothing had changed and closed the door in her face.

Oddly, Grimmjow hadn't come to bother him. That was weird. Normally, he'd be the first to break the door down.

Other than that, life went on as normal.

"_You WHAT?" Valencia was yelling at Kisuke._

"_Valencia, listen for a minute-" Kisuke was trying to calm her down. Unfortunately, after being killed, turned into a hollow, then turned back by the Hougyoku, she was in a very bad mood. _

"_You tested that THING-" She jabbed a finger at the object in his hands- "and turned me into a HOLLOW?"_

"_NO!" Kisuke yelled. "You were ALREADY a hollow. I turned you BACK to a shinigami- well, for the most part anyways."_

"_For the most part? There's a giant HOLE in the middle of me! And horns!" Her hands flew to her head. "HORNS! And- and- my sword?! Fuerda?" She looked at her sword, laying on the ground by the couch._

"_At least I could bring you back at all! You're lucky you remember too!" Kisuke argued. _

"_Why didn't you just kill me?!" She yelled. "I was just a hollow!"_

"_You expected me to kill you?!" Kisuke yelled back. "Are you stupid? I would never do that!" _

_Valencia stopped. She sighed and rubbed her forehead. "I can't believe crap like this actually exists. Kisuke, damn. You're like Frankenstein."_

"_Who's that?"_

"_Some character from a book that just came out in the human world or something." _

_Kisuke smiled at her. "Of course you'd know that."_

"_Shut up." Valencia looked to the side, refusing to smile, but the corners of her mouth were lifting up._

"_Why did you bring me back?" She asked. _

_Kisuke smiled at her. "Because I love you, right?" _

_Valencia looked at him._

"_Damn you, Kisuke Urahara!" She rushed forward and hugged him with all her might._

"_Ack, ack, you're killing me. Don't forget you're stronger than before-" He gurgled._

_Valencia refused to even let up an inch._


	32. Hunger Or, Where's the Food At?

**Chapter Thirty Two:**

**Hunger: Or, Where's the Food At?**

"_Now, Val-val, remember, you're a hollow now- so you had better not venture outdoors. Everybody thinks you're dead. So… it would be a bad thing if people discovered my little tinkering, hmm?" Kisuke told Valencia before he left the next morning to do his captain duties._

"_What am I supposed to do, stay here all day and pick at my fingernails?" Valencia grumped._

"_Probably not. I'll think of something, have no fear!" Kisuke pronounced._

"_Sure…"_

"_Oh, Val-val-chan, you are so mean to me!" Kisuke whined._

"_Shut up," she replied curtly._

_After he left, she wandered around his house, sifting through his stuff._

_He'd probably be angry at the invasion of his privacy._

_Not that she cared._

_She whistled a happy tune, reading magazines, books, messing with the faucets, etc, etc. His house was pretty interesting. He had all these random sketches all over the place. His house was as messy as his hair!_

"_Tsk, tsk, Kisuke Urahara," she clicked. "You really ought to pay more attention to your surroundings."_

_Speaking of which. She looked outside. It was a beautiful day out. The sun was shining, the sky was blue, bla, bla, bla._

_She wanted to go outside._

"_I'm sure just a moment won't hurt anyone," she muttered, as she climbed out the back window. She didn't use to door, because someone might see her. Or at least, that's what she told herself. She really just wanted to be cool and climb through his window._

_Oh yeah. Ice cold._

_She looked around outside, feeling the air around her. Speaking of which, she realized something. She could smell a lot better than before. A thousand tiny pricks of scent she had never been able to pick up before now enlightened her. _

_Someone to the left was cooking a pie. Down the right, a dirty dog needed to be cleaned. And down the block, oh, she could smell a most delicious scent. Oh, it was so good. Her stomach growled, and she felt her stomach rumble. She hadn't eaten in a while… oh how she was hungry. _

_She had to find what that smell was. She walked out of the house blindly, searching for it. It was so good, she had to have it…_

_And if she had been paying attention, she would have noticed it was the smell of a spirit. _


	33. Monster

**Chapter Thirty Three:**

**Monster**

"_STOP IT! VALENCIA!" _

_As if through a dark fog, Kisuke's voice came to her._

_Valencia blinked, surprised, and then stopped._

_She looked around- where was she? Somewhere in the woods… and oh, there was Kisuke! _

"_K- Kisuke?" She asked. Then she froze. Oh, no… she touched her face. The last thing she could remember was going after that delectable smell…_

"_Valencia?" Kisuke asked, nervous. He had his zanpakutoh out, and was stanced like he was about to fight. His clothes were torn, too. Where had he gotten those?_

_She looked him up and down. "Hey, Kisuke, you looked kinda beat up. Who did that to ya, huh?" She asked._

"_Valencia… so you're back, then?"_

"_What? Was I gone?" She raised her eyebrow._

"_Did you forget the past hour completely?"_

"_What hour? Did I pass out or something?" She patted her forehead. No fever. What, then?_

"_Valencia, you did. You went berserk and attacked someone, then when I tried to interfere, you attacked me! You went hollow and tried to kill me!" He shouted._

_She looked at him shocked. _

"_Wh-what?" She staggered. "You're kidding. This is a really bad joke, even for you."_

"_No. Valencia… what happened to you?"_

"_I- I was just hungry, and I smelled this great smell, and that's the last thing I remember."_

"_Oh my," his hand went to his forehead, rubbing it. "I should have thought of that. I brought you back, but I forgot!"_

"_Forgot what, Kisuke?" She was panicking, panicking…_

"_What are you, Valencia?" He asked, softly._

"_A Hollow…"_

"_And what do Hollows eat, Valencia?" _

_She realized it with a growing sense of horror. No, no, it couldn't be…_

"_Souls," she croaked. "I tried to kill that person and then I tried to kill you. I lost control, I lost it, I'm a monster," she spiraled into rants. She pulled her hair. No, no, it couldn't be…_

_He was there, right beside her. "Valencia…"_

"_No, no!" She cried. She grabbed his jacket collar from his superior height. "Kisuke, what have I done? I didn't kill anyone, did I?" She begged it was no, it couldn't be…_

"_You killed one person before I got to you," he replied quietly._

_Valencia hiccupped, let go of him, and hugged herself. "No, no… I can't believe I killed someone… I'm a monster Kisuke, I'm a hollow!" _

"_Valencia, it's not your fault. You completely lost it-"_

"_No!" She covered her ears. She was on full out meltdown mode. "I don't want to hear excuses. I _killed_ someone, Kisuke! Do you understand that? _I _KILLED and innocent person, because I'm a HOLLOW!"_

_He was trying to calm her down, but her voice kept rising pitches until she was shrieking._

"_I did it! And they didn't stand a chance. I'm dangerous Kisuke! I can't stay here, I can't stay here…"_

"_Calm down, Valencia!" He yelled forcefully._

_She froze, then looked up at him. "K-Kisuke…"_

"_Standing here and ranting won't do anything," he said firmly. "Let's got back home. I can probably refine the Hougyoku. Maybe I could create a way to control your hunger. You can't just starve. Maybe I could create a replica soul or something…"_

_She stopped listening after something about going home. She was so tired. Her body wracked with held in sobs. She had killed someone. She was a monster, that which she had spent her life exterminating. An innocent person, just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Now their entire family would feel a deep loss. She knew how that felt, to lose someone you loved. _

_It was the worst feeling in the world._

_She didn't do anything, only mutely clutched at him clumsily as he picked her up to take her home._

"_Relax, Valencia. I'll figure something out." He looked shaken himself. She could tell he was barely holding himself together._

_Oh, it was all her fault! Now she had even caused Kisuke pain._

_When they got home, all she did was silently collapse on the couch, and promptly fell asleep._

_When she woke up, Kisuke was gone. That's good. She probably couldn't face him after last night anyways. _

_But she was so hungry! She felt as if the hole in her heart was going to eat her alive. Souls, she had to eat…_

_Then she would punch herself viciously in the stomach. "Shut up, shut up, shut up!" She cried at it. "You awful murdering THING!" Her voice broke on the last words. _

_All week, Kisuke labored at the Hougyoku, on top of his captain work._

_Valencia learned that her public memorial service and military funeral was being held that Wednesday in Seireitei._

_She didn't attend, but Kisuke did._

_Like I deserve a funeral, she thought bitterly._


	34. Release

**Chapter Thirty Four:**

**Release**

_Valencia was lazily looking out the window when another hunger pain ruthlessly wracked her body. "Nnng…" She bit her lip, nails digging into the windowpane. She hadn't eaten in over a week, and she was so hungry…_

"_Valencia!" Kisuke suddenly rammed into her, knocking her over. She fell backwards, somersaulting a few meters before she landed on her back._

"_K-Kisuke?" She stuttered. She looked around. Oh no. She hadn't done it again, had she?_

"_I did it again, didn't I?" She whispered quietly. No, no, no. Her heart spiraled into an abyss of black despair…_

"_Don't worry, I stopped you! You didn't kill anyone," Kisuke reassured her. _

"_What does that matter?!" She cried hoarsely, half sobbing. The tears ran freely down her face. "How does that help?" She whispered softly. "Kisuke, there is nothing you can do. Eating souls is at the center of my being. I am a _hollow! _None of your experiments can change what I am!_" _Valencia wailed. She staggered towards him, and grabbed his jacket collar._ "_Please," she begged, staring into his eyes. "You have to release me, before I- before I can kill someone again!" Her voice broke, and she buckled down to sobs._

"_Release you?" He asked. "You don't mean-"_

"_Yes, I do. You have to kill me," she whispered. Her eyes shone with unshed tears, as she gazed desperately into his own undecided hazel ones. "Kisuke. Please, for me…"_

"_No!" He whispered. "Not to you, Valencia. I love you, don't you understand at all?!" He hissed._

"_Kisuke!" She sobbed. "You have to! I don't want to be a monster anymore." Her voice wavered, unsteady, threatening to break into sobs again. "Please. I don't want to, but, I could go to any shinigami, who could release me, if you can't. I can't be here any longer. I'm extremely dangerous! You're in danger just being by me! I could go after you next time, and what if- what if I kill you?!" She was desperate. He had to help her. "I'd rather that you released me. I'm scared of death- I've evaded it too long- and I want you there by me. I'm scared Kisuke. Please help me." _

"_Don't you have any idea what this means?" He yelled. "Do you realize it?" He grabbed her face and kissed her fiercely. He pulled back, panting. "Don't you understand what this means? I might never see you again. Out of all the six billion people in the world-" he gestured widely around him- "what are the chances that I would meet you again? Never! Not even when I die and am reborn and die again and live again, just like you, may we ever meet, for all eternity! It might not mean much to a time and space bender like you, but for the rest of us mortals, eternity is _forever._ There is no going back!" He stopped. _

"_Kisuke, I am not moving on this. I _will_ find you-"_

"_How?" He interjected. "I will find a way! I swear I will find you! In the next life! And anyways, you won't remember me at all!"_

"_How is that supposed to help me? Forget you? Never!"_

"_Kisuke, please. I can't live with myself. Please, if it is the only thing I willingly ask of you ever, please do this one thing for me. You've done it thousands of times before." She tried smiling weakly at him. "Kisuke, for me."_

_That's when a strange light came in his eye. "Valencia…" He touched her face, sweeping a stray strand of hair behind her ear, then sighed. "For you." _

"_Tonight then." she insisted. She sensed victory, and she had to know it for sure._


	35. Eternity

**Chapter Thirty Five:**

**Eternity**

_It was dark out by the time she was ready. The sky was a gorgeous dark blue, sparkling like a blanket with diamonds scattered across it. The moon was gone tonight- it was a new moon. She was outside, breathing in the cool night air, outside Kisuke's house in his backyard, savoring the last time she would ever be there._

_If anything, the darkness comforted her. It was better to go forward blinded to something you were scared of._

_And she was scared. She was terrified. What if she was reborn to a poverty stricken family and had to live in the streets? What if she was born to abusive parents? What if… and she hated to think of it… she never met Kisuke again?_

_Then, she assured herself, he would forget. He would find someone else. And her- well, she could go around on her own. Maybe she could be the rich and powerful one this time, who had to support him. She smiled at that part._

_She would find him. She would use Fuerda and find him, no matter what. That she had to believe at least, or she would surely rip apart._

_She remembered all her life, savoring it with nostalgia._

_Her lessons with Ukitake, her kind teacher. Hiyori, who was now the vice captain of the fifth division, Darth, who had been killed in battle, the academy days. She remembered being promoted, her missions and fights, all the wonderful people she had met, her loving family- her younger sister had married a pretty wealthy guy and lived happily in Rukongai with two childer, and her mother and father had moved on._

"_I'm coming to meet you, mom and dad, and Darth" she whispered softly._

_And of course, she was forgetting the person she would miss most. _

_Kisuke. Young Kisuke, laughing as he teased her. Teenage Kisuke, the shady lady (er, guy) class president. Grown up Kisuke, fresh into the shinigami world. _

_And now, captain Kisuke. He strode towards her across the lawn, Benihime, his zanpakutoh, unsheathed._

"_Kisuke," she called softly. _

_He smiled at her, weakly. _

"_I guess this is goodbye, huh," she said. Not for the first time, she considered going back on everything she said. Maybe he could think of something-_

_No! and risk another person getting killed because you are so selfish? She reprimanded herself. No, there was no turning back._

_Instead of answer her, Kisuke swept her into a great bear hug and held her there tightly._

_They just breathed for a couple minutes._

_Eventually she broke away. "Goodbye, Kisuke Urahara." She said, a single tear gently sliding down her face. "I love you. I'm going to miss you, shady lady," she joked, ruffling his shaggy hair. "By the way, I'm surprised you weren't kicked out of town yet because people thought you were a robber who sneaked past the guards!"_

"_Very funny. I love you too." He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes, which were as deep as sad as the ocean._

"_Okay." She braced herself, as Kisuke gently picked up Benihime, and prepared to press it to her forehead for release-_

"_And that, Seren, is when he instead went back on his word and wiped your memory and transported you to Hueco Mundo, where you were for many years," Rabeath finished._

_Seren watched, shaken, sure that she would never recover._

_Kisuke! Kisuke! If she could, she would run back to him, embrace him, and never let go. _

"_Kisuke," she croaked. "Oh Kisuke, you fool…"_

"_Time to go back. You've been out for a week." Rabaeth said, right before he touched her forehead and released her…_


	36. Seren Wakeup Call Hormones Trouble

Hi everybody! it's your sad author. please don't kill me.... i'm sorry i've been SOOO busy. i have four honors classes, cross country (not anymore which is how i'm still on here) and orchestra. I'm SO SOOOOORRRRYYYY! school has taken over my life, split it into bit, eaten it, and declared it delicious to my face. therefore, to make it up to you, i have put chapters thirty six through forty two up for you!! Yay! :)

**Chapter Thirty Six:**

**Seren + Wakeup Call + Hormones = Trouble**

Seren woke up suddenly, gasping. Her spirit crashed back into her body with the force of a thousand ceroes. Her body broke out in a cold sweat, like icy droplets; she panted, breathing consciously for the first time in seven days. Her body shook, breath rattling in her throat. Her heart pumped furiously, wildly.

A series of sensations flowed to her mind; darkness- it was night out- cold- she'd kicked off her blankets- and, most of all- pain. She hadn't moved around in a long time, and the shock wasn't kind on her nerves.

For a moment all she did was sit and cough.

Silence, then she looked up.

It was a pair of green eyes, ones that felt like she hadn't seen in a century.

"Ulquiorra," she breathed.

"Seren," he replied.

They stayed there for a minute, looking at each other.

"Umm… yeah…" Seren looked away, the spell broken. "How long have I been… out?"

"Seven days."

"W-WHAT?!" She turned around, shocked. Rabeath had said that, but- "I've been out for seven days?" She didn't know whether she was shocked it had taken so long… or so short.

"Seven days. I thought I said it clearly."

Typical stoic Ulquiorra.

"That's not what I meant," Seren muttered. "I need to get u- OW." She groaned as she tried to move. "Uh, I tried that too fast." She rubbed her leg. "That hurt."

"I'll help you." Ulquiorra said, and grabbed her arm.

She was suddenly aware of his eyes on her. She was hyperaware of the tiny slit of cleavage that was revealed in her nightgown. Wait, what? Since when had she noticed those things- A chill ran up her spine.

"Don't touch me!" She cried. She jumped back ten feet, clutching her wrist. Ulquiorra looked at her, eyes wide. "St-stay away!" She shrieked.

"_All right, that's enough, pet. This is boring, and you clearly have no fight left in you," Nnoitra mocked._

_In an instant he had grabbed her, knocking Fuerda out of her hands. Seren's body gave way and collapsed._

_Seren still fought. But there was no strength left in her. All she could do was keep screaming._

"_SH'CHI! SH'CHI!"_

"Seren? Seren?" Ulquiorra asked.

But all Seren could think, or feel, was Nnoitra's slimy hands on her. She shuddered and wrapped her arms around herself, and curled into a ball on the floor, hyperventilating from terror.

"Seren. Get up," Ulquiorra demanded, taking a step towards her.

"NO! STAY AWAY!" Seren screamed. He stopped, shocked.

She knew she shouldn't be so afraid… but those pictures kept haunting her. It was like your nightmare constantly replaying over and over in your head.

"STOP IT! MAKE IT STOP!" Seren screamed, pulling at her hair. "SHUT UP!"

_Seren closed her eyes, trying to block the nightmare out._

_She'd stopped screaming, but whispered it, one more time:_

"_SH'CHI."_

_The necklace broke apart into a thousand pieces, the pearls rolling around on the floor. _

She writhed around, yanking at her hair, just shrieking into oblivion. "Stop it! Oh God, somebody help me!" Her eyes were wide, crazed. Tears rolled out of her eyes, of sheer horror.

Then she froze, and scooted away even further into the shadowy corner, and wrapped her arms around her knees and froze there, silently rocking.

"It's okay Seren, it's okay, it's okay. He's gone, he's gone…" She muttered to herself.

"Seren." Ulquiorra spoke for the first time in what felt like forever.

She looked at him. Then she blinked, and her crazed eyes seemed to clear, a little.

"…Ulquiorra?" She whispered.

"Yes." His hands were in his pockets.

"Ulquiorra… what happened?" She asked.

"After you passed out, Kimi broke in with Grimmjow and his fraccion. After that, I came in and attacked him. He left, then a healer came and healed you. You were asleep this whole time, until now. Afterwards, I reported Nnoitra's behavior to Aizen, who punished him. He won't bother you again… and if he does, I _will_ kill him." A surprising note of viciousness entered his voice at the mention of Nnoitra.

"So… it's over?" Seren asked.

He kept forgetting that she was in a coma the whole time this happened. For her, he thought, it must have been just an hour ago.

"Yes."

"But what if he comes back? What if he does?" Seren didn't look like she could take it if he did.

"Then I will protect you. Don't worry." His voice was surprisingly reassuring. "Now wipe your tears. It's over."

She looked at him, and did as he said. She wiped her face sloppily with the back of her hand, like a lost child. "You'll protect me?" She repeated, again like a lost child.

"Yes. I promise you, Seren."

She sighed, and a sobbed a gentle hiccup. "Thanks," she whispered hoarsely.

A sudden rush of warmth flowed inside him. Of course he would protect her.

"I am going to go report your awakening to Aizen-sama." Ulquiorra turned away.

A sudden fear seized Seren. Her heart stopped.

"WAIT!" She screamed, grabbing his arm. "Don't leave me! Don't leave me alone!" She cried.

He stopped, looking at her dispassionately.

Or not entirely- for a moment, she saw a flicker of surprise- and something else- across his eyes.

"Let go of me," he replied. Seren blinked, then let go of his sleeve.

"I'm sorry," she said. "But," her eyes flared- "the last time you left me, I was attacked. Did you forget that already?"

He blinked.

She was right.

"Very well." He said.

Seren paused, surprised he'd relented so easily.

"Oh… thanks…" Again, she felt the weight of his eyes on her.

"I'll drop you off at Grimmjow's."

"Thanks." She muttered, gaze on the ground.

But he was already out the door.

She tried to sonido. Really, she did. Unfortunately, her body was so sore every step was agony.

"Seren, all you're doing is hurting yourself," Ulquiorra told her.

"I told you, I can do this!" She retorted stubbornly.

Ulquiorra resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

After another minute of pain, Seren surrendered. "All right. Go ahead. Carry me." She mumbled sourly.

"You say it like I'm making you move." Ulquiorra reminded her.

"Fine. Thank you." Seren was still busy making faces. His arms reached her back and legs, then swept her easily off her feet. The same surge of weight, imbalance, and then steadying she remembered.

But something else. Her heart skipped a beat, and heat rushed to her face.

Her jaw dropped. She hadn't felt this in… a long time.

Hormones.

She screamed inside her head.

WTF?!

_I told you there would be side effects,_ Rabaeth told her.

_YOU NEVER MENTIONED HORMONES!_

_Came with the package, _he replied dryly.

The worst part was, it was ULQUIORRA. Why?! Why?! Why did such strange things keep happening to her?! Honestly!

Well, she hadn't noticed that he really did have beautiful eyes, and a handsome face. Not to mention nice hair. And he was very strong-

Shut up, brain.

"Is something wrong? You're making a face like you're ill," Ulquiorra said.

"I'm! JUST. FINE…" Her voice came out in a growl and then high pitched.

Ulquiorra blinked.

"So… anyways…" Seren said, trying to lead away from the awkwardness. "Anything interesting happen after I passed out?"

"No."

Grimmjow opened the door.

"The hell're you here for, Ulquiorra?" He jabbed rudely.

Then he stopped when he saw the woman by his side.

"Hey," Seren waved weakly. "It's been a while, huh?"

Instantly a pair of arms wrapped around her and she was shoved into his chest as he hugged her fiercely.

"Seren!" He yelled.

"Wha-?!" She heard several chorusing voices in the background.

"Seren?" There was another familiar voice.

"Ye-ya," she choked out. Her face being smashed into Grimmjow's chest. She weakly patted his sides. "Grimm, ya, ye should let go of me-"

"Grimmjow, you're killing her." Ulquiorra told him wryly.

"Oh. Whoops." He let go, and Seren crumpled on the floor, cherubs spinning around her head.

Kimi ran into the scene. "Wait! What's new?" She looked down at Seren on the floor. "Grimmjow, nothing's changed!"

"No.. I'm alive… strictly speaking…" Seren slurred from the floor.

"Well, get up then!" Kimi grabbed her hand and pulled her up. "Oh, Seren-sama!" She hugged her too, until Seren was choking- AGAIN.

"I swear, you're all out to kill me," she mumbled. She shoved herself away from Kimi, rubbing her throat.

Ulquiorra turned away. It was an unbearably cheesy love fest.

"I'll be leaving then," he announced.

"Wait!" Before Seren could have second thoughts, she grabbed him around his thin waist and hugged him.

Ulquiorra blinked, surprised.

Grimmjow and Kimi's jaw dropped.

"Holy shit, she hugged him!" Grimmjow said loudly.

"No kidding!" Kimi agreed.

Ulquiorra glared at all of them.

"That's for saving me," she said. "Thank you." Then she reached up on her toes and- peck- gave him a kiss on the cheek.

His face wasn't as cold as she'd expected. Rather, it was pleasant, like a cool sea breeze.

Uh oh. That one was definitely hormones acting.

WHY?! Why?! Why did she keep getting herself into such awkward situations!?

She heard Rabaeth snickering away in her head.

Shut up, brain. And Rabaeth.

Kimi's jaw dropped. Grimmjow just stood still like an idiot, gurgling while he tried to think of a swearword big enough to explain his utter shock and repulsion.

"Are you done?" Ulquiorra asked.

"Yeah. You'd better go before I try something else. I did just get up from sleeping for seven days," Seren agreed.

"Well then." He turned and disappeared without another word.

Seren turned around and looked at her crowd.

"What?" She asked.

"Holy shit, I'd better get Mila Rose for this one," Kimi said, then she raced away to Halibel's area.

Seren walked into Grimmjow's room, past the fraccion that were then gathered around, gargling just like their Espada.

Ha. She almost enjoyed this.

Shut up, hormones.

But he was handsome.

I SAID SHUT UP.

It was utter silence as Espada and fraccion, and Seren, gathered in a circle, playing card games. It was an unusually intense and quiet game, but the air was tense and crackling with tension.

Grimmjow kept gurgling. He was still trying to think of something to say to Seren.

"Y-you KISSED him, the EMO BOY!" He stressed. "ULQUIORRA! I'm shocked he didn't cero you on the spot!"

"You're too mean to him," Seren replied. "Besides, it wasn't that bad." The fraccion all just cowered behind their cards as the thunderous argument between Seren and Grimmjow continued.

"WHAT THE HELL, SEREN?!" Grimmjow yelled. "He's fucking ULQUIORRA! Doesn't that MEAN ANYTHING to you?!"

"Oh shut up, you're just jealous," Kimi said, announcing her return. She was back- with Apache, Mila Rose, and Sunsun.

"Ooh, sounds like you came back with a bang," Mila Rose said. "I like that."

"She actually kissed him?!" Sunsun said, scandalized.

"Yes," Seren said, eyebrow twitching. Really, why was everyone making such a big deal about this? "And you know what else? I LIKED it! Face it, he saved me, you know it, and I owed him a thanks!"

"So you KISS him?" Apache exclaimed.

"But I saved your stupid ass too!" Grimmjow yelled back.

"Well then!" Seren yelled back. "How about this?" She got up, walked across the room, stopped in front of Grimmjow on her tip toes, grabbed his face, and kissed him hard on the lips.

Kimi looked scandalized.

D-Roy's eyes widened.

Sunsun's jaw dropped.

Apache blinked.

Shawlong looked the other way.

Mila Rose cheered.

"There? Happy now?!" Seren asked. Then, without even breaking her composure, she walked away and sat back down. "Oh yes," she said, and pulled out a card. "I believe I've won this round, lads. I have an ace."

Silence.

Grimmjow was still busy gargling, trying to find something to say to her, but not finding a swear word bad enough.

"Seren. We need to talk." Kimi grabbed her with one arm, and grabbed Mila Rose, Sunsun, and Apache with the other.

She pulled them into a separate room, shut the door tight, and rounded on Seren.

"WHAT THE HELL, SEREN?! WHAT ARE YOU ON?!" She grabbed her head and started shaking it wildly. "WHAT HAS ULQUIORRA DONE TO YOU, SEREN!?"

"Umm… I dunno… oxygen?" Seren replied, eyes spinning.

"Stop it! You'll damage her more than she already is!" Apache flicked Kimi's hands away.

Mila sat down and put her hands on Kimi's shoulders. "Honey, we need to talk. Since when did you have HORMONES?!"

Seren blinked. "Well, since I woke up, actually."

"Shit, what was Ulquiorra feeding you?" Mila Rose asked.

"I don't think he fed me anything!" Seren argued.

"I bet it was some form of that date-rape drug." Sunsun suggested to Apache, who nodded back.

Seren stood up, furious. "What the hell, you guys? I kissed him because he saved my butt! Period!"

"No," Kimi said. "I saw that look in your eye." She pointed at Seren. "The old Seren would never have done that. It was your HORMONES. You did it because Ulquiorra is… well, actually, I don't know that one… but Grimmjow is hot and he has a perfect ass!"

Everyone froze and stared at Kimi.

"Goddamn Kimi, and I thought you were the good little church girl type," Mila Rose said.

"And how would you know he had a perfect ass anyways?" Apache asked.

"Well, it's quite obvious. You can tell because-"

Seren covered Kimi's mouth. "We don't need to know," she said firmly.

"Fine," Kimi said. "But can I at least tell you about the one time I walked in on him in the shower?"

"NO!" Seren yelled. "NO MORE, Kimi. Thank you."

"Huh, fine. So he's not your type. But he has a perfect eight pack too."

Seren tried to keep that image out of her head.

"I don't get cable, I don't get cable," she muttered.

_No, but you do have me._ She heard Rabaeth's evil laughter in the background.

_You wouldn't. _

_I would. Just think about it…_

_NO! I WON'T!_


	37. Who Says Cards Can't Be An Olympic Sport

**Chapter Thirty Seven:**

**Who Says Card Games Shouldn't Be an Olympic Sport?**

By the time they came back into the room, everything had settled down- a little.

It was an exceptionally intense game of cards again.

Seren eventually found she would easily forget her troubles and nightmares. She was surrounded by her friends and having fun.

But at the same time, the incident was playing in the back of her mind. She couldn't stop think about it.

_I have to_, she thought. _It's over, it's over, it's over! It's never coming back! I'm safe! _

But all the same, the terror kept coming back to her.

"I WIN!" Kimi shrieked, throwing down her cards, jerking Seren back from her daydreams.

"YOU CHEATED!" D-Roy yelled. "There's just no way! I have three aces!"

"GO FISH!" Kimi yelled. "HAHA! I have five pairs! And that's all that's left!"

"Then what about the fourth ace?" D-Roy yelled back.

"That's impossible! You can't have three aces, I have two!" Grimmjow yelled.

"I KNEW IT!" Kimi jumped up and jabbed a finger at D-Roy. I KNEW you were cheating! You must have had an extra ace! No wonder you always won!"

"No!" D-Roy yelled back, jumping up.

"Okay, okay, guys, calm down, before we get a fight on our hands…" Seren tried to calm the two of them down.

"NO! FIGHT, FIGHT!" Grimmjow, Shawlong, and his other fraccion cheered.

"Shut up!" Seren yelled.

"Hey, this is MY place," Grimmjow pronounced, "and what I say, goes! FIGHT!"

"Hotheaded ass," Seren muttered under her breath.

"Fine! Bring it on, turbanhead!" Kimi teased D-Roy, beckoning with her hand.

"Sure, ginger!" D-Roy retorted, drawing his sword.

"YEAH!" Grimmjow cheered.

Seren muttered and smacked herself in the forehead.

Kimi leaped at D-Roy, and the two grappled with each other and fell to the floor. Kimi furiously pulled out her zanpakutoh, and D-Roy did the same. They fell to with harsh clanging of sword. Ring, ring, ring! Kimi ducked a blow from D-Roy and stabbed from low. D-Roy leapt to the side, just in time to block another blow.

At the same time, Seren felt a rising excitement inside her.

_You ought to stop them. You can, you know. Just think. You remember all your shinigami training with kido. You couldn't do that before._

Do you REALLY think I want to talk to you right now? She answered.

_Aw, c'mon. _

Seren gritted her teeth. The clanging _was_ annoying…

"Grr!" She roared. She leapt up, pulled out Fuerda, and walked right in between them. With a sharp cling, she dove in and knocked both Kimi's and D-Roy's swords out of their hands.

She glared at both of them.

"STOP IT!" She yelled. They both stopped, staring at her, shocked.

"Damn!" Mila Rose called from behind her.

"Hey!" Grimmjow yelled. Seren's eyebrow twitched, then she spun around on him. She grabbed his collar and shoved her face next to his.

"You. Me. Now." She growled.

Grimmjow's eyebrows raised to the sky. "Well, I never was one to turn down a fight." He grinned wolfishly.

Seren stepped back. _I have to test my new strength_, she thought. _I remember all of my shinigami training now… I just want to see what I can do._ And who better to test it on than someone who really deserves a can of whoop ass?

_Of course._ Rabaeth snickered away in her head.

Seren pulled out her sword. "Let's go, Grimmykins," she smirked.

With that, she attacked.

She dove in, sword high- and was blocked. She spun and feinted to the left- Grimmjow followed her- then she stabbed to the right.

"Wow. You've gotten better." Grimmjow grinned. "What exactly were you doing while you were sleeping?"

Seren turned, braid swinging behind her. "Remembering," she hissed tersely.

"Huh? How does that help you?" Grimmjow stabbed to his right.

"You'll see." Seren's lavender eyes glinted, hard as silver. With that, she flicked her wrist, dropping her sword, then stepped forward.

"Wha-" Grimmjow ducked just in time to avoid being blown to smithereens by hakudo- white lightning. "That's new!"

Seren only panted, baring her teeth. She danced, flexible as a reed, hard as steel. She ducked, feinted, spun, and punched. Soon she had Grimmjow retreating.

It was so easy. All of her training came back to her- years and years of training as a vice captain and then on the royal guard ensured her a flawless polish. A wide smile broke out over her face.

Ha! She went faster and faster, forcing him to retreat, shooting kido and flame and lightning and ice. Grimmjow deflected them with his sword. He shot a cero- she ducked and rolled.

Then she started retreating- Grimmjow was gaining on her! Oh great- he was still stronger! She stepped back, fiercely fighting, but without her sword- which she had so foolishly dropped- she couldn't block his sword.

Grimmjow got a smirk on his face as he sensed victory- but it disappeared as a smirk slowly spread across Seren's face. She ducked under a sword thrust, got between his sword and himself, and jumped-

And her fingers were at his throat.

"Dead," she boldly declared.

Silence.

"You mean, that whole thing was one long feint!" Grimmjow looked at her, shocked. Seren smiled.

"Of course! And, I dropped my sword- stupidly…" She smiled nervously. "It was technique I-"

Suddenly she stopped, frozen by terror. She sensed a reiatsu. It couldn't be-

She spun around, braid swinging, finding what she expected.


	38. Conundrum

**Chapter Thirty Eight:**

**Conundrum**

"You fought. Like a shinigami." He deadpanned, looking at her. He was there, steady, effortless, as he always was.

Why? WHY?! Why did she ALWAYS end up in bad situations?!

"Ul-Ulquiorra, I-" She stuttered.

"You need to come with me. Now." His voice was monotone, solid.

"That- that was-" She frantically searched for some excuse- a random finding of power? Maybe she could say it was a zanpakutoh attack of hers? Maybe she randomly read a shinigami book?? No, those were all stupid- It was a shinigami attack, and to do that, she much have been trained as one.

That would mean admitting that she remembered her shinigami memories- and Aizen might not believe that she had told the whole truth before. He would probably be angry at her, and if he didn't believe her- she shuddered at the thought of his reiatsu crushing her again, or worse- maybe he would hand her over to Szayel for testing-

"Seren." His voice came again, steady.

Damn you, Ulquiorra. Damn you!

It had only been a moment inside her head, but it had all felt like a century. She looked up at him, willing defiance into her limbs, even though they felt like lead weights attached to her seizing heart.

"Fine." She pronounced through her teeth. She picked up Fuerda and walked towards Ulquiorra, avoiding the shocked glances of Grimmjow and Kimi, the scandalized looks of Mila Rose, Sunsun, and Apache, and the plain dumbfounded looks of Grimmjow's fraccion.

She walked past Ulquiorra, leading the way back to his room.

The cards lay scattered on the floor, forgotten.

Seren furiously stalked ahead of Ulquiorra. She didn't care if he was supposed to take her to Aizen- he was going to have to chase her down- wait, maybe she could pretend to be innocent and dumb, not knowing what she had done, faking confusion. Wait, it was too late for that. Ulquiorra knew that she realized what she had done. And she knew better than to rely on him to lie for her. Darn it. She bit her lip. What was she supposed to do? She had to figure something out before they got to his room. And since they were flash stepping, that would be in a minute.

What could she do?

"Seren." His voice came again, but she ignored it, inflicting her fury and fear on him. If only he hadn't come- Grimmjow might not be the brightest bulb in the box, but he wasn't a brainless follower of Aizen.

A thousand plans and idea flowed into her head, all rejected, all drowning in the growing whirlpool of fear and hopelessness in her. Maybe she could escape, she thought desperately. Jump out of the window- the necklace could shock her, but it couldn't derail her entirely- right? Or, there was always the third option, which she chose not to think of. Fuerda lay at her side, heavy, a reassuring weight.

_Now would be a good time to think of something, Rabaeth._ She hissed inside her head.

But Rabaeth lay silent.

_Dammit!_ She thought, gritting her teeth together. _YOU got me into this. You told me to test my powers! Answer me, Rabaeth!_

Wait, maybe Ulquiorra could help her. He liked her right? She didn't bother him too much. Maybe he could just keep quiet about it. He was her protector- could she trust him? He had saved her life! He was so kind. And she did trust him, even though she hated to admit it; perhaps feel something for him…

Then she felt a sharp twisting of her gut in anger. Of course not! He was Aizen's little pet, probably sent to befriend her just to confuse her and lead her to believe that she might actually have some loyalty to this place!

She wouldn't put it past him, Aizen was such a twisted guy.

"Seren." He said again, angrier this time. Seren spun around. She knew she shouldn't be so mad at him- he probably hadn't intended to come in at the wrong moment- but that like a dam of sticks before a raging river.

"What?!" She spat.

He raised his eyebrows slightly in surprise.

"You," she shot, "are such a conundrum, you know that?"

He blinked at her. "What?"

"You," she pointed a finger at him, advancing slowly, "always come in at the _right_ moment, don't you? You ruin _everything _for me. You stood by for the whole lamp thing while I was _tortured_, the necklace that traps me, whatnot! Do you have _any_ idea how it feels not to be able to control your own life? Do you have any idea? And yet, you are so unbelievably _courteous_ about it, for some reason! You can confuse anyone, even somebody like me!" His eyes slowly grew wider, not understanding where she was going. She didn't, either.

"You, yes you, Ulquiorra Schiffer, are nice about this, like you believe that what you're doing is right!" Where was she going with this? She felt a moment of confusion, but the words poured out of her mouth. She wanted him to understand, to be confused for once! To at least watch the emotion play across his face. "And you can even perhaps, fool _me_, the one you're keeping under lock and key, to believe that you might _even_ consider sticking up for me! I almost, I am _this_ close to believing that you might even like me, that I can _trust _you." She was an inch away from him now, her lavender eyes glaring into his. "You are _twisting_ my heart!"

"And now, of course now that common sense is kicking in," she finished, "you are going to tell Aizen about this whole thing, and he is going to punish me or whatever. I get to be crushed or tortured or handed over to Szayel for testing or _whatever the hell_ they do in this place!"

An open expression of surprise- no, amazement- blanketed his usually calm face.

She stood there, panting, eyes burning. She was amazed that she had ACTUALLY just said that, to ULQUIORRA of all people. In about a minute, he was going to kill her. But she had to take advantage of this opportunity, now that she'd finally opened a weakness in him.

She was so close to him, face to face. She could feel his breath on her face.

"What do you want from me, Ulquiorra?" She asked quietly.

He looked at her- his green didn't seem hard as emeralds anymore, but soft, melting. For a moment all they did was look into each other's eyes. Then, ever so slowly, he raised his hands to her face.

Seren didn't show any fear, only impatience for his answer.

His white fingers rested on her cheekbones, touching her face.

Seren didn't even blink- she was holding her breath.

His eyes were intense, burning. The tension built. Seren felt her heart speeding up, for no reason she could pin down-

Then in a moment, the tension collapsed, and he broke away.

"You are a tool to Aizen," he said quietly, but there was no feeling, no force behind it.

"You don't mean that. Do you even understand what I'm talking about?" She whispered softly, not moving an inch. "Do you even know what feelings _are?"_

He blinked at her.

" Of course not." Her eyes slid to the floor, then she walked away. She prepared to flash step-

"I won't tell him if you don't want me to," he said softly.

She turned around. "I don't want you to get hurt on my account," she whispered. Then she raced away before he could say another word.

Ulquiorra wondered what all that had been.

Apparently, coming from Gimmjow, women were crazy, especially once they started talking about their hearts and love and feeling or whatnot.

He would know.

Grimmjow was a womanizer.

Not for a second time, did he sense again, the thrill that maybe- no. It couldn't be. Could Seren maybe be as confused as he was? Could she perhaps feel the same about him as he did about her?

He felt something inside him flutter at that thought.

Seren got all the way to the room before he caught up. Well, at least she'd gotten faster. He probably could have caught up if he wanted to, but he must have let her go ahead. Well, of course. Ever courteous Ulquiorra.

Sometimes she wished he was flat out mean; at least he would be easy to understand!

God, she was so confused!

"Explain what happened. How is it that you, after lying comatose for a week, have suddenly gained shinigami powers?"

Oh, _he _was here.

"I'm not going to send you to Aizen. Just explain." He was gentler this time, with the patience only Ulquiorra could possess.

Grimmjow or Aizen would have ceroed her by now.

"I don't know." She almost spat it.

"Yes, you do."

"Fine," she muttered. She started to yell it, then stopped. She didn't want him mad at her.

Seriously, why couldn't she ever play nice?

"Well, fine, I'm through with secrets. Do you wanna know why I care about people? Why I'm a nice person? How I have feelings? Well, here's why: I remember my life as a shinigami, before I was turned into a hollow!"

His eyes widened.

He seemed to be doing that a lot more often lately.

Oh well, she thought. You know me. I'm just a jack-in-the-box full of surprises. She sighed and rubbed her forehead.

"I was a vice captain of the Gotei Thirteen." Why was she telling him this, why?

Shut up, mouth. Seriously, just close. Don't let anything else out. And tongue, stop wagging!

"Then I was promoted to one of the royal guard. And then I was killed by one of Aizen's early experiments, a hollow with my powers created from my DNA. And then my friend the mad scientist, that Urahara guy, used a primitive form of the Hougyoku to turn me into an Arrancar. I remembered my life- which is weird now, apparently. Unfortunately, it had flaws. I lost control, and he sent me to Hueco Mundo, and sealed my memories out of kindness so I wouldn't remember and be tortured by it." She paused for breath, letting the tirade and tension slide out of her mouth.

"Then your mad pink-haired-apparently-not-gay scientist Szayel undid his block, I remembered part of it, but my zanpakutoh spirit held the rest back. After I was attacked by Nnoitra, my zanpakutoh revealed this to me after he took me out of my body. That's why I was out in a coma for so long. I was having a nice long chat with my Zanpakutoh. There. You have the whole story. I hope you're happy." She finished bitterly.

"And the thing is, I don't even know _why_ I just told you that! I shouldn't trust you! I should hate you!" Seren was pulling at her hair. "But I _don't!_ I can't bring myself to hate you! You've saved my life, you're so damn _nice to me!_ Why?!"

Only silence.

Uh oh. What if she had just admitted that to an empty room? Maybe he ran off while she was rampaging, or maybe she had actually succeeded in scaring him off! Perhaps that was it! She didn't dare hope-

"Seren."

Of course not.

"Well, if you really did just tell me the whole truth, I will tell you mine."

She looked up. That one was a surprise.

"…What?" She whispered softly.

"If you are confused because you wonder why I'm polite, Aizen wanted me to befriend you because he figured that if you love something, you will stay by it. Thus my being kind- it was only for Aizen's purpose and his purpose only- and your confusion. He was right, his plan worked." He didn't even change his voice.

Seren looked up. "I… I should have known." She put her face into her hands, willing the pain to go away.

She heard the swish, swish of his pants as he walked towards her. He stopped right in front of her.

She held her breath. If she spoke, she would surely break.

"Seren."

Why? Part was remembering the full tragedy of her past life. Of course, Aizen's plan had been working perfectly. She hadn't realized that she had liked him until it was severed and crushed- and now she realized just how deep she had allowed herself to feel for Ulquiorra Schiffer.

"Seren."

She couldn't take it anymore.

She looked up at him, tears lightly spilling down her face. "I should have known! Of course!" She cried. "I should have known better! Do you know I trusted you, relied on you? I- all right, I'll admit it- I was _this_ close to loving you! All those times you were nice were _fake?!_ I'm just glad that whoever this awful _thing_ that controls fate finally took pity on my heart and had you tell me the truth, before I got too attached! I actually liked you!" She stood up, an inch away from him. "I was fooled!" She turned to the side, avoiding his gaze. "Thanks for telling me the truth, anyways. Go ahead and tell Aizen about my whole lying about the memory thing. I hope he kills me." She spun around, viciously wiping away the tears that traveled down her face.

"Seren. I said I won't tell him."

She turned around. "You said so if I told you I didn't. Well, I do. At least if he kills me I won't have to face tomorrow morning."

She strode towards the door.

"Where are you going?" He called behind her.

"I'm going to Grimmjow's. At least I can trust _him_!" She ran out the doorway and slammed the door shut behind her.


	39. If Only the Real World Was Like My Head

**Chapter Thirty Nine:**

**If Only the Real World Worked Like the Inside of My Head**

Kimi opened the door, surprised to see Seren there.

"Hey…" she said softly, noting the taller girl's red eyes, wet face, and bedraggled appearance.

"Hey. I just… I just need a place to stay for the night." Seren explained. Her voice was weak, hoarse.

"Of course!" Kimi opened the door wide, and gently pulled Seren inside, closing the door behind her.

"Thanks," she whispered.

"Nonsense, you poor creature." Kimi took her into the bathroom, and took a washcloth, wet it, and washed Seren's face. "I swear, you leave with us thinking Aizen's going to fry you, now you come back alone crying?"

Seren just swayed softly under Kimi's firm wipes with the washcloth.

"And what are you doing in here-" A familiar loud voice announced, in turn announcing a large man in the doorway, with an equally familiar head of blue hair. "Whoa-" he stopped when he saw her. "Seren..?"

"Yeah, I know," Kimi retorted, probably trying to chase him away.

"No, it's okay. He has a right to know." Seren walked past Kimi to Grimmjow.

"Y- you weren't told by Aizen to falsely befriend me, were you?" She asked.

"Wh- what the hell?!" Grimmjow shouted. "Why would he do that?! What are you talking about?!"

"A-Aizen told Ulquiorra to do that, just so I would be loyal to him."

"Did it work?" He asked, none too polite, but he never was.

She nodded mutely. She explained about how she had regained her shinigami powers, and that he had decided to return her honesty with his. "I still can't believe it. What is wrong with me where this stuff just keeps happening to me?"

In that moment, Ulquiorra burst in the door and declared his love to Seren, carried her away from this awful place, killed Aizen, and took her back to Urahara, her true love- and oh yeah Kimi, Grimmjow, his fraccion, Mila Rose, Apache, and Sunsun came along.

Wouldn't that have been nice. If only the real world worked like the inside of her head!

Instead, Grimmjow picked Seren up, took her to the room- where ALL his fraccion saw her crying, to her humiliation- and put her to bed, in Kimi's room. Then she lay there miserably, re-explaining all the events of the past miserable hour to Kimi.

How lovely.

She was up for hours, unable to fall asleep, long after Kimi and the rest of the others were out.

She lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling. She watched happy scenes of her life as a shinigami flash across it, dancing in front of her eyes.

_See, this is why I blocked your memories. You wouldn't have been able to hold yourself back in front of Aizen and you would have had to explain everything to him. He probably won't like you remembering your past life,_ Rabaeth explained.

_Thanks._ Seren replied, but she didn't really mean it. She was bittersweet, empty inside.

Seren's eyes opened- then she shut them. "Grr… I'm too tired… I can't face the day…" She put her face into her pillow.

Whoever said that things always seemed better in the morning, had lied.

If anything, revealed in the harsh light of day, things were worse.

She looked around, and found both Grimmjow and Kimi sleeping on the floor around her bed. She smiled, grateful for their kindness.

"Thanks guys," she said softly. She got up, kissed both Grimmjow and Kimi on the cheek, then walked out the door.

She wandered around loosely, knowing it was early in the morning, few were out, and whoever was, she avoided. It was easy, just sensing reiatsu and going the other way.

Yes, she was being antisocial, and no, she didn't care. She wasn't in the mood to face anyone. And yes, she was also out the door before she realized she was still in the nightgown Kimi had lent her.

Now she had two reasons to avoid people.

Or hollows, however you took it.

It took her a minute or two before she realized someone was following her- and she was pretty sure it was the same person who had followed her the first day. She tried going faster, sensing it was powerful. But it followed her stubbornly, just like Ulquiorra and Nnoitra when she was captured.

It followed her, and worse, it was gaining on her again.

She gritted her teeth. "So be it," she hissed. She sped up, even faster, then started taking erratic turns- she turned corners, stopped and ran the other way, then ran up and down stairs. At first her mysterious pursuer slowed- then it caught up and gained.

Finally, tired and pissed because it was morning and too early to be terrorized and defeated, she spun around.

"What?!" She cried when her follower came- and then it smashed right into her in a ball of fury.

They tumbled for two rolls, then Seren broke away. "Wha- wha?" She muttered rubbing her head.

She was never getting up early again.

The- boy, she guessed- looked up, and cooed at her.

Her jaw dropped. What?

The- thing- turned around and looked at her, then crawled over to her. He had oversized sleeves, long blonde hair, and wide, innocent purple eyes.

Seren couldn't believe her eyes- _this_ was the monstrous reiatsu that had chased her down?

Well, she hadn't thought she was that weak!

"Wonderweiss!" A concerned voice called, then found them.

It was Tousen and Gin, who had apparently been chasing the boy, who had been chasing her.

They looked at her, just as shocked as she was.

"Well, I'll be, if it isn't little Miss Lampshade," Gin said, teasing her about the lamp incident.

The other guy, Tousen, didn't say anything. Well, he probably hadn't known who she was- he was, after all, blind.

"Well, I'll be, if it isn't Fox Eyes and Braid Boy," she replied evenly.

"Aha!" Gin clapped his hands delightedly. "Just as plucky as ever, I see!"

"Yeah," she deadpanned. "Here is… your… um… thing?"

"Don't refer to Wonderweiss as a thing!" Tousen replied, sounding scandalized and talking for the first time.

"I'm sorry," Seren replied. "I didn't know he had a name. He was just chasing me."

"See! I told you he was looking for something!" Gin laughed to Tousen.

Seren raised an eyebrow. "… Aaaanyways…" She looked at Wonderweiss, only to find he was holding on to her leg. "Um… Wonderweiss, is it? You kind of need to let go of me."

He only cooed again, like a bright baby who had just found a new toy.

"He likes ya, huh?" Gin smiled at her. "Ha!"

"Yeah. Well, I need to get back to my room on account of I'm in my nightgown, I'm tired, and it's too early in the morning to be ambushed." She really was getting cranky.

"You shouldn't talk to your superiors that way," Tousen lectured.

"Aww, nonsense. She just got up from her week long beauty sleep," Gin embellished.

Seren's heart lurched. "If you call that beauty sleep," she growled, "then you have no idea what a coma is, do you?"

Gin looked at her. If she had seen his eyes, she could have been sure they widened in surprise.

"I'm sorry. I'm in a bad mood. It doesn't help that the last time I was chased down I was raped," she replied bitterly.

"Aww, it's nothing." Gin smirked at her. He took Wonderweiss from off her leg, then turned away.

Then he turned back, and smiling even wider, "See ya, Seren-chan."

"Uuuuh," she replied.

Then Gin, Tousen, and Wonderweiss disappeared with a flash step.

It was moment before Seren realized that Ulquiorra apparently hadn't told them about her whole shinigami remembering past lives thing.

"Ul- UL-ULQUIORRA!" She yelled to the empty hall.


	40. Darn You Ulquiora Being Skinnier Than Me

**Chapter Forty:**

**Darn You Ulquiorra, For Being Skinnier Than Me!**

She had to find him and find out what happened. She sped down the halls at breakneck speed, sliding wildly around the corners, rushing to get to his room.

Aha- she found it- then she busted down the door, leaving it swinging wildly on its hinges.

At least she hadn't broken it. Ulquiorra had already had to replace that door twice now.

"Ulquiorra!" She yelled, the door slamming announcing her arrival.

She looked around- no answer- then saw a telltale mess of black hair on the couch hidden under a blanket.

"Ulquiorra?" She faltered this time.

The blanket lump shifted, then moved, to reveal Ulquiorra himself, with a ruffled behead and sleepy green eyes.

"What do you want?" He demanded in an uncharacteristic fashion.

"Oh… sorry… didn't know you were sleeping…" She trailed off. Oh please, let him just cero her to the spot.

"Seren?" He looked up, and recognized her.

Well, of course he was surprised to see her. Last night she'd told him in-between the lines that he was a lying bastard and she didn't ever want to see him again.

Well, we all saw how long that one lasted.

"Haha… sorry… I just wanted to ask you, did you end up telling Aizen about the… um… you know?"

"No," he sighed wearily, then got up.

He slept in his uniform! Seren noted with surprise.

Well, actually no surprise. Of course he didn't sleep in pajamas. Ulquiorra was too cool for pajamas.

However, the idea of him in bunny slippers and cupcake pj's cracked her up.

"And what are you laughing about?" He asked.

"Hmm… I was just imagining you in bunny slippers and cupcake pajamas, that's what." She replied, as if she hadn't just said something highly insulting.

All he did was raise and eyebrow and give her a strange look.

"It's not my fault!" She cried. "You're just so adorable with your messy bedhead and ruffled hair!" Oh, crap. Why were all her secret thoughts spilling out again?

If this is you again, Rabaeth, I swear I will kill you! She thought furiously.

Ulquiorra looked like he was about to cero her to the spot- then he touched his hair.

"It is kind of messy, isn't it?" He said nonchalantly.

Seren goggled at him. What? So he wasn't going to cero her to the spot?! Why was he so calm? She had insulted him in at least a dozen ways!

Ulquiorra yawned- omg, he yawned! Seren thought. So cute- shut up, brain, she told herself- okay this dash line is taking way too long! focus Seren- then he walked to her.

"I was out all of last night. I had to go escort a human girl here," Ulquiorra said.

"… Huh. You guys do that a lot around here, this escorting business, don't you?" She said slyly.

"Not really. Aizen just is curious, I guess." He replied.

"Omigod! This is too unreal. I have to get this on video. There is just no way you're this conversational and at ease! It must be the morning!" Seren pronounced, then she clamped her hands over her mouth.

"Ah. I wasn't supposed to hear that, huh?" Ulquiorra almost smirked at her, but not quite.

"Seriously. You are being waaaay too nice right now. You're supposed to cero me to the spot." She pointed out.

"Huh. I still could, you know. I am bigger than you."

"Aah, but you're also skinnier." She retorted.

"That doesn't count with ceroes."

"Well, if we were dependent on size, Yami could cero_ you_ on the spot."

"You're right."

"Geez, what did you have last night? You are seriously being too nice."

"It must be that I'm tired, half out of it, and when I wake up in about two hours I will probably come to Grimmjow's room and kill you."

He said it so politely.

"Well then. I'm going to ask Grimmjow to guard the door, then."

"I could just kill him, too."

"Aah, but it give me time to escape, no?" Seren couldn't help it. She was smiling. Who knew Ulquiorra could actually be nice in the mornings? "You're funny when you're not brooding, you know."

"Hmm." He murmured.

"Oh, you're tired. I probably had better let you sleep. Night, night, Ulquiorra."

"You mean morning," he corrected.

"I said what I meant and I meant what I said," she sassed back.

"…"

"There we go, that's normal Ulquiorra!" She cheered.

"…And just _where_ were you?!" Kimi announced, hands on hips, when Seren entered the room.

"Just a morning stroll. I talked to Ulquiorra. Hey, you now, he's actually pretty social in the mornings. He might have just been in a tired haze, though…" Seren replied.

"Umm, I think YOU'RE in a tired haze," Kimi sassed.

"Maybe…" Seren yawned. "I'm tired. I'm going back to bed."

She waved loosely behind her as she wobbled to the bedroom. Kimi was right, she was very tired…

"Hey, you!" Grimmjow was suddenly there, and pointing at her rudely again.

"Excuse me, but you're pointing at me rudely again," she replied.

"I thought you never wanted to see that ass again! What, did you fall and hit your head again?!" He took her head and started shaking it wildly.

"Wh-who-whoa, ll-elelelemme goooo-" she stuttered, seeing stars starting to spin.

"Stop it Grimmjow! You're going to give her even more brain damage than she already has!" Kimi called.

"Oh. Whoops." Grimmjow let go, leaving Seren to stagger about drunkenly until she regained her senses.

"My head hurts…" She murmured, rubbing her head. "Grimmjow, you idiot!"

"Well, it's not my fault. I was actually worried about you! Letting a psycho chick wander around the halls early in the morning kind of make me nervous- for everyone else." He snickered.

"Haha, very funny," Seren mumbled. "Now let me go back to bed."

"Ah, ah, ah!" He humorously wagged a finger at her. "No, you owe me."

"Owe you for what?!" She hissed. Then she realized. Oh no, not this again…

He smiled at her. Shameless!

"No." She pronounced.

He raised his eyebrows. "Then you can go straight back to Ulquiorra's room!"

"Well fine!" She retorted. "He's actually friendly in the mornings!"

"You still owe me for last night!" He countered.

Seren sighed. "It is too early in the morning…" She mumbled. "Fine." She stood up on her tip toes to kiss him-

And then realized something.

The hormones were back.

The peck morphed into a rather deeper kiss, and she gently sagged against his body. Ooh, yes, that was the spot. He was ripped… Grimmjow responded easily, wrapping her in a tight embrace. Their lips moved together, growing hotter and more passionate by the second.

Kimi stood behind them gawking and squawking, trying to think of a word bad enough to describe her horror and shock.

"Um, okay, stop it you two!" She yelled angrily, hands curled into fists.

Seren broke away. "Whoa," she said.

"No kidding." Of course he was grinning.

Grimmjow is an incorrigible rogue!

Damn hormones. Why can't they just go away?

_Because this would be a lot less entertaining otherwise,_ Rabaeth replied.

_Shut up, Rabaeth. And hormones. Oh well, damn it all to hell!_ She deserved some cheering up after a century of depressingness!

_That's the spirit,_ Rabaeth cheered.

_Oh wait. Of course! Kimi_! Seren whipped around. "Kimi?!"

Kimi stood there, fuming at them. She turned to Grimmjow and Seren.

"Y-you BEASTS!" She cried, then ran away into a room- whose, who knows- and slammed the door soundly behind her. The other two just stood there, confused.

"Huh. I wonder what that was about," Grimmjow voiced.

"Oh, shit. Dammit!" Seren cursed, pulling away from Grimmjow.

"Hey, where're you goin?" He called behind her.

She only shut the door behind her in response.

"…Kimi? I know you're mad at me, but, I mean, I'm not used to having hormones back!" Seren attempted to explain.

"Oh, what, I'm supposed to believe that?!" Kimi yelled back. She was on the other side of the bed, refusing to let Seren come within a five foot perimeter around her.

"I'm serious! I'm not lying! And you were right, he does have a perfect ass!" Seren continued. She took a step around the bed, and Kimi moved the other way.

"Oh, come on! Stop being so childish!" Seren scolded.

"Nno!" Kimi cried, countering Seren's every move towards her.

"Oh, come on. I don't like him in that way!"

"You just admitted you did! What about the perfect ass part?!" Kimi returned.

"Oh, I should've seen that one. Okay, maybe I lied about that. Maybe I am attracted to him! But, geez, you're fast, you think he's hot, too! Don't act like I'm committing a sin!"

"But I saw him first!"

"Well, if you're going to play that card, actually, _I _did." Seren said.

"Well fine! You can _have_ him, he obviously likes you better!" Kimi threw her hands in the air. She stopped and sat down on the floor, crossing her arms stubbornly.

"Don't act like that!" Seren begged. "Honestly, it was one moment. I'll never do it again!"

"No, it doesn't count, because he doesn't like me! Maybe if _I _had tilted purple eyes," Kimi continued to grump.

"Nonsense," Seren replied. "He probably doesn't even know you care about him. He's as thick as a log, you know."

Kimi smiled a little at that. "You're right."

"So, go out there and tell him!" Seren encouraged.

"You're right. I'm going to go and do it, my way!" Kimi stood up and marched out of the door.

"Wait what? What do you mean, your way?" Seren ran out the door after her. "Kimi?!"

Kimi herself marched stiffly right up to Grimmjow, grabbed his jacket collar, and yanked him down to face her (which was a lot, because he was at least a foot taller than her). "Listen, Grimmjow JeaguarJacques," she growled menacingly, "I've met trees brighter than you!"

"What?!" He replied, shocked. "What are you talking about?!"

"I'm talking about, I _love you,_ you great lug!" Kimi shouted, then kissed him.

Kimi heard Shawlong, D-Roy, and all the other fraccion cheering in the background. D-Roy whistled loudly and clapped.

"Ooh, god." She smacked herself in the forehead. So that was Kimi's style. She should have known… Won't this terrible day ever end???

_Haha! This is great,_ Rabaeth chuckled inside her head.

_Yeah,_ she replied dryly. _Totally great._

Bonus Omake Again! Yay! These are fun to write! XD

**This Is Why Grimmjow Is As Thick As a Log**

Kimi: *laughs to herself* now I have finally thought of a diabolical plan to seduce Grimmjow, the hottie! *gives herself a thumbs up*

Plan One:Kimi: *steps out in one of Mila Rose's outfits* *in sexy voice* hey Grimmykins, what's cookin' good lookin'?

Grimmjow: Well actually, I'm not cooking anything right now. There should be some cookies in the fridge. By the way, did you lose your clothes or something?

Kimi: DX

Plan Two:

Kimi: Maybe if I lace his drink with just a little… _alcohol…_ that usually lowers inhibitions… hehe… *pours about a gallon of alcohol into Grimmjow's drink* Here Grimmjow, I got you a nice drink!

Grimmjow: Thanks. *drinks* *passes out*

Kimi: Oops. Maybe that was a bit too much…

Plan Three:

Kimi: Fine, I'll write him an anonymous love note! I won't sign it though- it shouldn't be hard to guess who it is, because I'm the only girl here! *writes love note* ahah!

**Later**

Kimi: Oops! I put it in the _wrong_ room!

Shawlong: *reading love note*

Kimi: *gulps* oh shizzums…

Shawlong: *looks around* D-Roy! You wrote this??

D-Roy: What? Oh, that love letter?

Shawlong: How long… have long have you felt like this??

Kimi: DX

D-Roy: *stands up* forever! I've always felt this way about you!

Shawlong: D-Roy!

D-Roy: Shawlong!

*They embrace passionately*

Kimi: Umm….. What just happened?

Lol…. Poor Kimi… I guess her attempts at sparking some romance just failed… oh well. It worked out in the end! XDDD I enjoyed writing that very much, yes I did.


	41. Sabotage And A Familiar Face

**Chapter Forty One:**

**Sabotage and a Familiar Face**

Seren sneaked out amid the cheering and slipped out the door. She wiped her forehead. _Boy, am I glad I'm out of there,_ she thought.

_Awww. But it was so much fun!_ Rabaeth whined.

_Shut up,_ she snapped. For some reason, she felt an all too familiar coiling of bitterness in her gut- jealousy. _Nonsense!_ She had done the right thing. The coiling receded to a gentle tickling of emotion in her throat. _No, I don't regret this at all. I don't care at all for Grimmjow,_ she lectured herself furiously.

_You're the nonsense, _Rabaeth snickered away in her head. _You DO like him._

_Well, either way, he's better off with Kimi._ She said bitterly. _I am nothing good for him. My only plans for the future are to break out of here and get myself killed by a shinigami so I can return to the life cycle, and hopefully be reborn with a happier life. I don't need to leave him behind hurt. I know how that feels._

_You're just sabotaging yourself. So one chance was ruined, you're just going to give up on square one?_

_Pretty much._ Seren sighed. _This awful day just won't end, will it?_

_Not at this rate._ Rabaeth summed.

For awhile, Seren's thoughts drifted to her and Grimmjow. He may be stupid, but he had a good heart- err, hole. He wouldn't betray her, at least. Probably not. Well, that was all she could hope for in Las Noches. Plus he was hot…

_Shut up, you damn hormones! You got me into this in the first place! _She lectured herself again.

_Well, you have some sunshine finally coming your way. Familiar faces always cheer people up. You might want to check Ulquiorrra's room again,_ Rabaeth snickered away.

_Wait! What do you mean?!_ Seren asked. But Rabaeth lay silent again.

She growled. Stupid Rabaeth and his cryptic hints.

Oh well. It's not like she had somewhere better to go.

"To Ulquiorra's room then," she murmured softly.

This is awkward. Seren stood at his door, fist raised to knock, but too scared to do so. She couldn't rely on Ulquiorra's being tired to prevent him from taking her to Aizen.

Oh wait, he hadn't told him yet. Well, that was weird. Speaking of which… last night made no sense at all.

That's what she gets for being asleep for a week and then trying to do too much.

_The door's not going to open on its own_ Rabaeth said sarcasically.

_I know._ She replied.

Just as she raised her fist to knock, the door slid open from underneath her fist. She looked down, surprised, then looked up.

"What are you doing?" Ulquiorra looked at her.

Oh, bummer. He was back to his no-fun-kin self.

Maybe if she hit him over the head…?

"Well, it doesn't matter." He continued. "I was about to go get you. There's someone here for you."

"What?" She asked, confused.

He mutely opened the door wider. She stepped inside, and looked around.

It couldn't be… could it?!


	42. I Need to Get to Finishing This Story

DAMMIT the font was messed up again!!!

argh... anyways, i hope you all enjoyed the story. but no one commented on kimi's omake in chapter forty!! i thought it was hilarious.. oh well. T.T

**Chapter Forty Two:**

**I Really Need to Get Around to Finishing This Story**

She felt a familiar sinking of disappointment as she looked to the person waiting for her. It wasn't Urahara- oh, well, what had she been waiting for?

But it wasn't like she knew anyone else…

"Hello, Seren." The stranger said politely. He had smoky, gray-blue cat eyes, a delicate face, and longish, dark brown hair, jaw length. He was tall and thin, probably about five foot eight. He had a hole in the middle of his stomach, and the remains of a mask at the sides of his head, in great horns.

"Are you done staring yet?" He asked. "Wait," he chuckled. "Of course, you probably don't recognize me. It's been a while since you saw me."

But Seren was already walking closer to him. She had very good hunch who this was…

She grasped his face and looked into his eyes. "Chompy?!" She cried, shocked.

He nodded, and smiled.

"OMIGOD IT'S MY CHOMPERSSS!!" Seren cried with a sudden rush of love and squeezed him to her chest in a hug. "Oooooh, my Chompers!!"

Chompy simply smiled and purred.

Ulquiorra blinked at them all, wondering exactly what was happening.

"Do you remember Ulquiorra?!" She asked.

"Oh yes," Chompy smirked at her. "He tried to kill me."

He said it in such a nice tone.

Seren froze, then looked at Ulquiorra, who also had his surprised face on.

Of course, only she could tell.

"Well, what happened since you left?! Tell me!" She asked excitedly.

"Well," Chompy began, "because I ate a lot of your reiatsu, which was very powerful, I quickly progressed into a Vasto Lorde, and was then changed into an Arrancar by Aizen, and here I lay. They call me Kiyoshi now, but you can call me Chompy."

"Aah, you're so cute! You're still the cutie I remember!" Seren continued to shriek. She grabbed Chompy and squeezed him again.

_Oh brother,_ Rabaeth said sarcastically.

Then Seren froze.

"YOOOOOWWWCH!" She screamed and wagged her arm, to find Chompy biting the other end of it. "CHOMPY!"

"Whaat?" He mumbled, muffled by her arm in his mouth.

"That hurts a lot more than when you were littler!" Seren cried, shaking her arm to get him off. He stubbornly held on as she owwed and shook.

"Oh. Sorry." Chompy let go and wiped his mouth. "Old habits die hard."

"No kidding!" Seren muttered, rubbing her arm, which now had a large red bite mark on it.

Chompy just smiled at her.

"I came to be your fraccion," he told her. Seren blinked, surprised.

"Um… sorry, but I'm not an Espada. Actually a hostage, if you will. They won't let me go. Haha." She rubbed the back of her head, embarrassed.

"Huh." He replied.

"Well, you can be Ulquiorra's fraccion-"

"NO." Ulquiorra stated-

"-Okay then, or Grimmjow's fraccion!"

"Hmm." Then Kiyoshi's face lit up. "Is that the guy with the blue hair who basically molested you?!"

"Umm… yeah…" Seren mumbled. "You don't need to put it like that. It sounds weird then…"

"Well, it was weird." Kiyoshi pronounced. "Freakin' perv."

"Yeah, that too." Seren smiled. "Oh, but I missed you. I've had a really, really bad time of it since you left."

"Well, let's hear it!" Kiyoshi encouraged.

"I'M GONNA KILL THAT NNOITRA! HE'S GONNA DIE!" Kiyoshi shrieked, making wringing motions with his hands. "I'M GONNA STRANGLE HIM!"

"Yeah!" Seren cheered. "Boy, am I glad I finished that story. It took a long time."

"Umm.. Did you tell that Ulquiorra guy about Urahara?" Kiyoshi asked. Ulquiorra himself, of course, had long since left.

"No!" Seren shook her head. "He didn't even tell him about the whole shinigami powers. Or at least, I don't think he did. And you're the only one who knows about it, so keep it a secret!"

"Wow. Your life- that's depressing, Seren-chan," Kiyoshi said.

"Yeah, I know." She sighed wearily. "I hate my life."

"Huh. Well, we can go bother that new Wonderweiss kid. He seems to have taken a liking to Mr. Braids."

"No he's… creepy? I'm sorry, that Tousen guy freaks me out… By the way, I met that Wonderweiss kid today. He didn't really do anything." Seren smiled. "Oh, I missed you so much. It almost killed me when I let you go, but I'm glad you did. You got to evolve!"

"Yeah. Your reiatsu's pretty potent stuff." Kiyoshi nodded. "Well, if he's boring that's the last thing I want to do… Are you SURE we can't visit Grimmjow?! Please, please, please?!" He begged.

Seren sighed and rubbed her temples. She really did _not_ want to go back…

"So, are we going to go bother the blue-nette?" Kiyoshi continued excitedly.

"You bet…" Seren resisted the urge to go jump off one of the castle's ramparts. Oh yeah, that was impossible because she couldn't go outside.

Damn you, Aizen!


	43. Being Alive is SO Overrated

whats up everybody!! sorry i ahven't updated ina a while and a lot of ppl have favorited me and reviewed!! thanks soooo much! now my creativity is coming in bursts, so that's why im updating so sporadically... also, my comp is flipping out. **i would reply to everyone that has reviewed/favorited, but i dont want the comp to crash**... so... thank you all very very much! *bows*

**Chapter Forty Three:**

**Being Alive is So Overrated**

"Umm… Chompy… maybe we could wait until later to go to Grimmjow's…. you know, I didn't exactly leave under the best circumstances… please let go of me…" Seren begged as Kiyoshi fiercely tugged her along.

"Nonsense! I remember Grimmjow. He'll be _very_ happy to see you!" He winked at her.

"Not quite. See, I kinda started kissing him, and Kimi got mad because she liked him, so then I set them up."

Kiyoshi gave her a weird look. "Soo… lemme get this straight… you like him, so you set him up with your friend?"

"Not quite… actually, yeah, that's the gist of it."

"Girls are weird. If I were you, I'd say, 'ahah, too bad, I got him first, BITCH!" Kiyoshi grinned enthusiastically.

"I bet you would," Seren said wryly.

They arrived at Grimmjow's door. "Aha! I knew I still remembered the way!" Kiyoshi said delightedly.

Seren sighed as she looked at the door.

She really didn't want to go inside. That would lead to quite a couple interestingly awkward moments…

She could see it now…

_Kimi: *opens door.* oh, hey, Seren!_

_Seren: Hey! I was wondering if I could come inside!_

_Kimi: HELLS NO! *grabs Grimmjow and starts making out.* HE'S MINE, BITCH! *slams door in Seren's face*_

Seren sighed, and rubbed her forehead.

Kimi wouldn't do that, right?

Well actually, there's a lot of things she thought Kimi wouldn't do, and she'd gone and done most of them.

The door opened. Kimi's face was revealed in the thin slit of light- she looked at them- then swung the door wide open. Grimmjow appeared behind her.

"Seren!" He said- then stopped, looking sheepish.

"Hey guys! Seren, you snuck off earlier!" Kimi smiled.

"Can you blame me?" She asked. "I didn't need to see that." The couple looked at each other. Kimi blushed.

"Aww. Well, come on inside anyways!" Kimi welcomed. "-Who's this?" She looked at Kiyoshi.

"Hehe, well, remember my pet Chompy?"

Grimmjow nodded. "Yeah."

"Well, turns out when I let him go, he turned into a Vasto Lorde and then Aizen turned him to an Arrancar, and here he stands!"

"Wow." Kimi rubbed the back of her head. "That's shocking!" Then she looked at Kiyoshi. "Wait… I can kind of see it…" Then she shrieked with joy, grabbed Kiyoshi (who was much taller than her, so it was quite funny to see) and squeezed him. "OMIGODOMIGODOMIGODIT'SMYCHOMPPYYYYY!" She squealed delightedly, while squeezing the guts out of Kiyoshi.

"Urgh…" He grunted.

Seren chuckled behind her hand. "You seem to be getting that a lot." She winked at Kiyoshi. "Haha."

He simply growled at her.

She turned to leave.

"Hey, hey, where're you going?" Kimi asked.

"Yeah! This time Shawlong went to the mortal world and got this new game, Uno!" Grimmjow said excitedly. "It's a lot of fun!"

"Good. Well, while he's there, tell him to get an Xbox. You'll like that even better." Seren suggested. "But… I gotta go. I have to get back to Ulquiorra. I am still under his watch. He probably wants to kill me right now." She smiled nervously. Oh, how she was lying. She wanted to do _anything__but_ go back to Ulquiorra- "I have to go apologize or something before I leave it and he gets angrier." Of course she was lying. But Seren wanted to see Kimi and Grimmjow happy together even less. She waved goodbye, hugged Kimi, Grimmjow- who squeezed her in a great bear hug- and left, sonido'ing so fast that they wouldn't see her tears.


	44. Masochist

**Chapter Forty Four:**

**Masochist**

_What's your problem?_ Rabaeth asked. _You're being antisocial, when you need friends the most. You masochist._

_You have no idea,_ Seren replied.

_Actually, I do. I'm in your fricking head, for goodness' sake_, Rabaeth said sarcastically.

_Well.. I can't face either of them right now… I'm glad they're together and like each other, but…_

_That's leaves you out._

_Yep, but that's fine._

_You know, you could have had a chance with him._

_No, I couldn't have, because I realized this is all temporary. The first chance I get, I'm going to go escape, and again, I… I don't want to leave him broken. I've left enough people like that. _Seren sighed, and slowed to a normal walk. _I've gotta stop before I kill myself and run into a wall. _

_Why don't you just give up on escaping?!_ Rabaeth yelled in her head, enraged. _Why can't you just get over yourself?! What do you have to go back to? You want another life- how is that better than this? I mean, think about it. You could be born in any situation! You could end up in an abusive family-_

_Poor, destitute, living on the streets, yeah, I know. But that's a chance I'm willing to take. I can't take this sadness with me anymore, Rabaeth. I want a clean slate. I can't bear to think about Kisuke. I miss him so much. I hope he ends up with Yoruichi, at least._

_Well, that's stupid. Let me get this straight. You're convinced you're headed on a railroad track to the end, so you'll just set up every guy who likes you with someone else and you'll feel better while you go and die. Brilliant._

_I know, right?_ She replied. _It all seemed like such a good idea in my head…_

_If only everything worked like the inside of your head,_ he commented dryly.

Ooh, I hope he's not back, Seren thought as she snuck into Ulquiorra's room. "Maybe I can just pretend that I'm asleep, and he'll assume that since I'm back that we're good and I won't have to talk to him-"

"And who would this 'him' be?" Ulquiorra asked.

"Umm… Chompy!" Seren said. "Definitely!" She smiled in an attempt to fool him.

He raised an eyebrow.

She deflated. "So, you're not falling for it. Darn it. There goes my plan!" She slapped her fist into her palm in an over exaggerated gesture of frustration. "Darn. I'll have to go to bed and think up another one. See you tomorrow morning-" She walked away-

"Stop."

She stopped.

"Turn around."

She turned around.

"All right," she sighed, frustrated. "So you won't just leave me alone? Maybe we could pretend last night never happened? Or better yet, that I'm not here, I'm just a random hostage, guest, whatever you sick people say over here, and you don't care what I do, just so long as I'm here at Aizen's beck and call. Deal?" She held out her hand.

He blinked at her. "I'm afraid I can't do that."

Seren snatched her hand back. "Oh yeah. You're still under Aizen's orders. Befriend me or whatever? Well, I'm not falling for it! You can get killed for all I care!" She shouted bitterly.

He seemed to.. sadden at that.

Oh, shit. She made Ulquiorra sad. Or maybe it was just a trick of those tear drops on his cheeks? Definitely.

_Aww, come one! He's so sad looking! How can you resist that face?_ Rabaeth was showing himself again.

_Screw you!_ She yelled at him. _You're still the one who got me in this mess!_

_Nana,_ he snickered.

_Aww, damn you! You know, when I die, you do too, right? I'll make sure it's extra painful so you have to suffer!_

_You have to suffer too,_ he countered.

_Screw you!_ She screeched back.

She was too busy arguing with herself she didn't notice Ulquiorra's approach.

"You're making that weird face again. Are you arguing with yourself?" He asked.

She looked up- he was _right_ there-"Whoa. Buddy, _too _close!" She said.

He blinked at her.

Again, typical stoic Ulquiorra.

"Anyways," he continued, "why would I bother with it then, since you already know?"

"Exactly," she said, looking him in the eye. "So go ahead, I know you hate me." She sighed. "You know, this is so creepy. You don't even _know_ what love is, so you have no idea exactly how much this hurts! I HATE you!" She looked to the ground, face burning. "_You don't even know what love is_!"

He looked at her, calm, steady. "It's where you can't stop thinking about someone, even though you want to."

Ah, there it was. She looked up at him, surprised. "Wha-"

"You want them with you constantly. You don't ever want to let them go." His eyes were turning burning, intense. She couldn't stop looking into them-

One of his hands found the back of her neck, resting there. The other gently slipped under her arm and around her waist.

"I love you, Seren," he finished.

And then he kissed her.

Something inside her was reeling in shock- who are you and what have you done with the real Ulquiorra?- in another part, everything clicked. Of course. There had been signs…

But those must have all been false! Why was he kissing her?! More of that fakeness? She could see it:

_Aizen: Ulquiorra, kiss her and apologize! Yess! Muwahaha!_

_Ulquiorra: Yes, Aizen-sama. I am your brainless slave._

But it didn't matter. She was too tired, too beaten to fight. She would rather believe this beautiful lie than suffer in her own harsh reality.

_It's a chance I'm willing to take._

She surrendered to him. She relaxed against his arms, which held her firm next to his chest. Her arms, of their own accord, wrapped themselves around his neck, latching firmly onto him.

He was warm. Burning, in fact.

That's all right. It matched her own feelings.

She responded to him, hugging him close, their lips moving together. It was fire, fire! It was all consuming, wild, uncontrollable. All good sense flew out the door. She wanted him- all of him, right now. She pressed against him with flaring passion.

Then… he stopped. He pulled away slowly, then rested his forehead on hers. For a moment, all they did was breathe heavily, heads together. Then he moved his head, and pressed her face against his throat. Her eyelashes tickled. He buried his face in her hair, just holding her.

Seren breathed his smell in deeply.

She had so many things to say… but none of them mattered right now.

Ahaha! Yes! I'm going to leave it there!! I'm a meaniieeeeee!!! HAHAHAH oh well it'll probably be up by tomorrow. Eheh yay! Love scenes! Wheeeeee! XDDD


	45. Yes

**Chapter Forty Five:**

**Yes**

Seren woke up suddenly. She breathed for a minute, not daring to move.

What had happened last night?- oh.

Oh _shit_!

Oh crap, she had to go. Talk to Mila Rose about this- she'd know what to do! Well, actually, she could imagine what she'd say:

_Okay, you've done step one. Okay, on to step two: fuck him!_

Oh, Mila Rose…

She sighed and rubbed her forehead.

Last night, Ulquiorra had put her to bed like a child, and she'd refused to let go of him. He'd stayed- until she fell asleep, apparently.

Part of her was fizzing and bubbling with joy, erupting under the surface. The other part was just thinking, _oh crap, oh crap, oh crap…_

She fell back on the bed.

All she could think about was what Grimmjow and the others would say. She could see it now…

_Kimi: HOLY CRAP! SEREN-SAMA! WHAT HAS HE DONE TO YOU?!_

_Grimmjow: So, you won't let me touch you, but ULQUIORRA?! WHAT THE HELL?!_

_Sunsun: O.O_

_Apache: WTF?!_

_D-Roy: …_

_Mila Rose: So… did you fuck or what?_

She sighed and put her face into the pillow.

She just wouldn't talk about it, that's all.

Okay, now that the responsible part of her was satisfied…

"YES!" She cried, throwing her fist into the air triumphantly. "Yes, yes, yes, yes!" She jumped on the bed and bounced on it, jumping up and down. "Yes, yes, yes!"

Then she missed a step and- "OWCH!" fell off the bed.

She climbed back up again. "YES!"

She danced around the room, prancing. "Yes, yes, YES!"

She opened all the doors in Ulquiorra's quarters and shouted "YES!" into each of them.

She grabbed a bottle of shampoo and sang "yes!" using it as a mike.

She threw the pillows at the wall. "Yes, yes!"

Eventually she stopped the sugar high, and collapsed on the bed, panting. "Ay, I'm tired. I probably shouldn't try that again but… yes, YES, YESSSS!"

She skipped through the halls, if only to shed some excess energy. Then- oh. Oh yeah. She'd kind of left Kimi and Grimmjow in the dark.

They probably thought she'd gotten killed.

She sped down the hallways, down the familiar way to Grimmjow's room. She opened the door and-

"SEREN?!" Kimi shrieked. "IT'S YOU!" She grabbed her and squeezed Seren. "I was so worried! I thought Ulquiorra had finally killed you off!"

"Thanks. That makes me feel so good," Seren replied sarcastically, but she couldn't resist smiling.

"There you are, you stupid lug!" Grimmjow said joyfully, and wrapped her up in another bear hug. "It's good to see you, still alive! Did he rat you out to Aizen?"

"Surprisingly, I don't think so," she replied. "I haven't been sent to Szayel for testing, anyways."

"So, did anything else happen?" Kimi asked nonchalantly.

"..No," Seren replied, though on the inside she was dying to tell her all about last night. It was eating away at her! She had to tell somebody!

Well, on the second hand, maybe not…

She hadn't been here for very long, but she could bet Ulquiorra had some enemies here. And if they thought that she was a way to get to him…

She shivered to think of what might happen.

"Well come on and play uno with us!" Grimmjow said excitedly. Apparently this new game was pretty fun. "We'll show you how!"

"Actually, I'd probably better get back to Ulquiorra's. I'm trying to stay on his good side, you know? I came to let you guys know I haven't died yet." Seren replied nervously. The truth was, she just wanted to wait for him and see him again…

"Aww, bummer. He's keeps you on such a tight leash. I'd hate to see what he'd do with his girlfriend," Kimi commented.

Seren's heart froze for a minute.

"Aww, Ulquiorra'll never get anything close to that!" Grimmjow laughed. "He's too creepy. What kind of _freakish girl _would want a weirdo like that?"

"Yeah," Kimi nodded enthusiastically. "She's probably have eight arms and two horns growing out of her head- no offense, Seren."

The corner of Seren's mouth curled up with chagrin. Well, that answered _that_ question.

"Okay, Seren, if you have to." Kimi frowned and hugged her friend. "Let me tell you, if he gets any crazier, I _will_ beat his ass in!"

"All righ- AACK!" She gurgled as Grimmjow wrapped her in a tight bear hug.

She could feel her organs starting to come up through her neck-

"Okay… Grimmjow- lemme go before you squeeze my guts out," she choked.

"Oh. Whoops." He grinned. "Sorry."

"You don't look sorry at all," she commented dryly. "Aaanyways, I have to go. Bye!" She waved enthusiastically and then sped away.

"She sure left fast," Shawlong replied behind Grimmjow and Kimi.

"Nonsense, what gave you that idea?" They replied.


	46. A Statue of Us

**Chapter Forty Six:**

**A Statue of Us**

"Seren. Seren."

Her eyes flew open. "W-what?" She blurted.

An entertained smile graced Ulquiorra's lips. "You fell asleep upside down on the couch."

"I- oh whoops. I did." She rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "…Yeah. That was pretty… special…"

Then she did a double take.

"CR-CRAP!" She shouted, jumping away from him. "You're… SMILING! Who are you and what have you done with the REAL Ulquiorra?" She demanded.

He blinked at her- and then he- crumpled? He started shaking.

Seren cried and grasped her face. "Oh my god. I killed him! _I killed the Ulquiorra clone_!" She gasped, clutching her head. Was he- crying? Sobbing?

Then he stood up, and wiped a tear from his eye. He'd- he'd been LAUGHING? She was going to kill him!

"Don't scare me like that!" She shrieked. "I thought I'd actually killed you!"

"Nonsense," he replied, smiling. "It's the real me."

"How would I know that?" She demanded.

"Hmm, I suppose you'll just have to trust me," he commented dryly.

Seren blinked. Well then.

Ulquiorra straightened up. "I actually come with a message. Aizen-sama wants to see you tomorrow. He says he's got some questions to ask you."

"You DID rat me out didn't you!" Seren shrieked, pointing rudely.

Ulquiorra gave her a blank stare.

"… Well then…" Seren muttered, as she lay upside down on the couch, crossing her arms and feeling very much like a petulant child. "… Tomorrow. Okay. I don't think I have anything planned."

She could have sworn an entertained look flashed across his face.

"Okay, so of course I couldn't have any plans. I get it. I have no life…" she sighed dramatically. "Well then… what now?" She looked at him.

"Hmm… I don't have any missions tonight." He replied, sounding weary.

She blinked at him. No missions?

That meant they could have the whole night together.

_Oh yeah. You thinking what I'm thinking?_ Rabaeth insinuated.

_Shut up._ She replied curtly. _We're probably not even going to do anything interesting. I should just go back to Grimmjow's._

_Don't get too convinced,_ Rabaeth snickered.

Seren was about to utter a sharp mental retort but then Ulquiorra's face softened, slowly, gently, oh so slowly, with a bare smile. It threw her straight off her tracks. Her thoughts froze in her mind. She watched, intrigued, mesmerized, as the corners of his lips widened and curved. Seren found herself automatically smiling back, slowly, warmly. She felt her eyes curve upwards into smiling half moons, and Ulquiorra's large eyes smiled too. His pale hand found hers, and they clasped their hands together happily. He sat down next to her.

"Ulquiorra," she breathed. Her back lifted her up, wearily, softly, so she could sit next to him. Then her back gently lent her back down, and she leaned against him.

Seren's head and thoughts slowed, relaxed. She felt it- warm, bubbling- _happiness_ fizz and warm her from her heart. The golden happiness flowed through her like soda, bursting, bright, joyful. Her breathened quickened, shallowed. She blinked faster. Her heart plummeted to her stomach and back. For the first time in over a century, Seren was finally happy.

She savored the moment.

Oh, how glorious. All of her suffering, all of her trouble in Las Noches was worth this moment, this single, pricelessly precious moment.

Her head, of its own accord, drooped onto his shoulder. Her eyelids fluttered. Her eyelashes blinked in front of her vision, until she found them, too, drooping of their own accord. She felt the weight of Ulquiorra's head lay down to rest against hers too. There was a slight tugging at the ribbon tying her hair- it came loose- and her espresso tresses spilled around her like dark waterfalls. Her scalp prickled as he gentle pressed his face into her head, in an adoring press of his lips. The air was slow, silent, still, as if in reverence of the moment.

_I could die now,_ she thought, _and it would all right._ _Death, you can try and get me, but leave me this single moment._ She started humming. It was a slow, beautiful song that she remembered from her life as a shinigami. She gently sang:

It was the song from the graduation at the shinigami Academy, when she and Kisuke had danced together. She could hear her voice, stubborn, low, as she argued with Kisuke. She heard his entertained chuckle, seemingly from the shadows even now.

The low, dim lights from the dance and the eternal night of Las Noches blended together.

Her beautiful purple kimono faded and blended into her white dress.

The flower clip and bun in her hair unraveled, to reveal her hair loose. Kisuke's scratchy, messy hair flowed into Ulquiorra's black. The peace and love of the night melted away into now, like cool snow turning to silky, liquid water.

The room was silent, still. The two people blended in it were statues, flawless, still, perfect. Their hands were laced together. They leaned against each other, raven and espresso hair interweaved, pale faces smooth, heads together. Happy, comfortable, their bodies close and hearts closer.

Anyone who walked into the room at that time would have noticed nothing but two happily dozing souls sitting next to each other.

Somewhere outside, a hawk and a raven took flight, wafting on Hueco Mundo's winds.


	47. Heartless

Chapter Forty Seven:

Heartless

**Ulquiorra realized with a small surprise that Seren had fallen asleep on him. He stirred and turned to see her closed eyes and peaceful expression. **

**She was asleep.**

**Oh, but it couldn't be helped. He sighed softly as he lifted her up surely in his arms, gently so as not to wake her up. He strode over and set her down on the bed, where she then replied in her sleep by rolling over and taking up almost all of it. **

**He felt a burst of bright, sparkling joy bubble up in his throat, and he suddenly found it hard to breathe.**

**Ulquiorra started. What?**

**What was this?**

**Was this… was this happiness? His fingers touched his throat. What was this… this feeling? It was amazing, it was beautiful, wonderful, choking- it was **_**joy,**_** he realized. Joy, in all its myth and fable- the thing that Seren had talked about so much. **

**It was so much more than she had said.**

**It was so much more than could **_**ever**_** be said.**

**For the first time in his bleak life, he felt as if, well, he was **_**moving.**_** Finally aware of **_**life**_** itself. His heart- did he **_**have**_** one?- quickened. His pulse flowed with liquid energy. He could **_**feel**_** his pulse. He could finally feel at all.**

_**I want to feel like this forever,**_** he realized. He never wanted to leave. He could just stay here with Seren and be happy. Aizen, his missions, Grimmjow, Nnoitra, Hueco Mundo, Las Noches, death, all seemed to be left behind in some other world, with some other Ulquiorra. That Ulquiorra was loyal, strong, and dead on the inside.**__**But not he. Now he was alive.**

**The twanging and plucking at his heart now intensified dramatically into a sharp squeeze of agony. **

"**Hl-" Ulquiorra groaned and clutched at his hole and dropped to his knees. His hand scrabbled at the bed sheets by Seren. Any lesser man would have screamed for the pain. But he held his cry in as the agony fought to make its way past the block in his throat. He gasped and scratched at his chest as the hurt escalated into a climax of breathless, nameless pain.**

**There was no name for this kind of pain.**

**There could be no name.**

**Then… it stopped.**

**The pain left, like it had never been there at all, already racing away into the blissful ignorance of the past.**

**Ulquiorra took a deep breath to steady himself. He looked down and-**

**It must be just his imagination. **

**Just his imagination, just his mind and the dark playing tricks on him.**

**But oh, he could have sworn that the bleak hole in his chest, where his heart should have been, had just shrunk from it had been a minute ago.**

**Just his imagination.**


	48. Scattered Pearls

**Chapter Forty Eight:**

**Scattered Pearls**

Seren opened her bleary eyes. She blinked once or twice. The world was eye-shaped slit windows. Then the windows expanded. The room, white and large as ever, was the same. The sky was navy outside in Hueco Mundo's eternal dark. She rubbed her head.

"Mm, Ulquiorra," she hummed. She looked around, to realize he wasn't there. "Ul- Ulquiorra?" She asked cautiously, to the empty room.

No answer. Her almost whisper echoed in soft hisses among the silent walls. A strand of her dark hair fell over her shoulder, across her face. Her eyelids drooped. Her heart sank, as if two stones had been attached to it and now it was slowly drowning in an ocean. A crippling ache wracked her center.

Had it all been a dream then?

But, she realized calmly, that would be all right if it had. She had been at peace. She only wished she was still there now. She let herself collapse back onto the- bed?

Seren started, looking around, shocked. She was in a bed! Ulquiorra's! Well of course, they wouldn't have both fit laying down on the couch…

"Oh no, he had BETTER not have done what I'm thinking of right now!" She mumbled fiercely to herself between grit teeth.

_Well of course not,_ Rabaeth made his presence known.

_Oh, so NOW you show up, after I'm not in trouble anymore,_ Seren told him tartly.

_Ouch,_ Rabaeth answered back.

_You deserved that,_ Seren replied mercilessly.

_I talked to you before this,_ he retorted.

_AFTER_ _you figured he wasn't going to slaughter me._

_Ah, slaughter. Don't you think that's too strong of a word?_

_Stop avoiding your guilt. _She retorted sharply. She looked around the room. _Time to go to Grimmjow's, she decided. _

_Again, getting too excited too soon,_ Rabaeth said, like he had a secret she didn't know about.

_Wha-_

There was a slight knocking at the door.

"Who is it?" She called.

"It's Kiyoshi!"

"CHOMPERSSS?!?!?!" Seren cried delightedly. She threw open the door, to find Grimmjow, Kimi, and Kiyoshi, all waiting for her. "Oh my!" She cried.

"Ha, we came to visit you," Kimi said.

"Since that old toad Ulquiorra won't let you out," Grimmjow finished. Seren looked at the circle of friends, and her heart swelled with joy to bursting.

"I love you guys!"

"Seren, it's time for you to see Aizen-sama," Ulquiorra deadpanned behind them. Seren's face froze mid grimace.

"Okay," she thought, mentally berating herself, knowing it wasn't Ulquiorra's fault. But she still wanted to blame him.

_After that make out session too,_ Rabaeth snickered.

Seren resisted the urge to try to set Rabaeth on fire.


	49. Red Hair and Violet Eyes

**Chapter Forty Nine:**

**Violet Eyes and Red Hair**

"I think it's only fair to warn you, Aizen-sama, that Fuerda has more… um… _bite_ than I do…" Seren winced, picking her words carefully.

Aizen _actually_ wanted her to predict the future for him! He had some questions to ask or something. He wanted her to play Madame Zelda Mysterious Gypsy Fotune Teller Woman With Too Much Time On Her Hands to Aizen Not Enough Crystal Balls.

And of course, to do that, she had to slip into bankai.

Which obviously meant basically letting Rabaeth take over her body.

Oh _crap._ Obviously they didn't know Rabaeth too well.

Rabaeth, obviously, was NUTS.

_OBVIOUSLY. _

_If you try ANYTHING I swear I will DESTROY YOU_ she told brooking no room for argument.

_But-_ Rabaeth started-

_NO!!!_

Rabaeth huffed unhappily.

"Just remember, you _asked_ for this," Seren gritted her teeth and sighed.

"_Sh'chi…" _Seren muttered with less than true enthusiasm.

Earth, fire, water, wind, bla bla bla shiny fireworks and-

"AAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!" Seren screamed.

Ulquiorra, Aizen, _everyone_ jumped. The ground shook, the walls rattled, and several screams could be heard.

"Seren?!-" Grimmjow growled-

"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!" Seren jumped gleefully. "I fooled you all!" She fell over on the floor, squeezing her sides, and literally, roflhao (rolling on the floor laughing her ass off). "Ooh, ooh, I'm sorry." She got up and wiped a tear from her eye. "I apologize for that brief interruption- AAAAAAHHHH!!"

"AAAHHHH!" everyone screamed.

"AHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAA!" The ROLFHAOing continued.

"Umm… Seren…" Aizen was getting annoyed.

Seren got up off the floor, dusted her robes off, and took a deep breath. "I am most certainly _not_ Seren," she smirked. "I am _Rabaeth._"

It was true. Seren's dark hair had turned pale and white, she (he) was taller, heavy, and definitely more manly-shaped. As a result, Seren's clothes were noticeably tighter.

"These pants hug my ass _way_ too much," Rabaeth muttered.

Oh, how Grimmjow and Ulquiorra's eyes bulged.

"You're a _MAN?!?!_" Grimmjow yelled with his usual finesse and tact.

Rabaeth blinked at him like he was the dumbest thing that was ever put on the white Hueco Mundo sands. "No, you _idiot_. I am a woman!" Rabaeth said sarcastically.

Poor Grimmjow just looked even more confused.

Rabaeth sighed and smacked his forehead. "Well, I suppose I've been summoned. As much fun as it is confusing pee-for-brains, I need to get on with it."

"Hey! Who're you callin' pee-for-brains?!" Yelled Kimi, shaking a fist.

"Yeah!" Grimmjow yelled also.

"I was… never mind…" Rabaeth said. "I _so_ am not getting paid enough to do this." He grabbed Sh'chi and muttered a few unintelligible words. A bright light flashed from the sword and everything was white.

Then the light vanished back into Sh'chi.

All was silent.

"Hey, hey, Ser- Rabaeth," Grimmjow snapped his fingers at Rabaeths' face impatiently. "Hello? Anybody home?"

Suddenly Rabaeths' body lurched backwards and a terrible screeching filled the room.

"Dammit, not this again!" Aizen cursed.

The screeching stopped, and Rabaeth. rose off the floor. His eyes were blank, filled with a strange, violet light.

He pointed to Aizen. "_Your plans shall go as you hope- but the ones that you ruined years ago shall come back to haunt you. Their faces are changing, their souls are shifting. You will lose many of your soldiers in the battle. Watch the one with gold hair. It is too late already for the violet eyes."_

He turned to Ulquiorra. "_Beware of the red hair, for it shall be both your savior and your doom."_

To Grimmjow now. "_Your pride will kill you slowly."_

To Kimi. "_Your heart lies elsewhere."_

Then Rabaeth screeched again and fell to the ground. The light flared again, and everything disappeared in the face of the white.

When the rubble cleared, Seren was lying face down on the floor, Wearily she got up. She rubbed her head. "Wha- what was that?"

"You don't remember?" asked Grimmjow.

"Of course not!" Seren replied. "Rabaeth and I are two different beings. If I _do_ go into a trance, I am _out_ of the house, if you know what I mean."

"Now," Kimi said angrily, "why are all of your hints so darn _cryptic?!"_ she pondered.

"Well, if I came and told you guys outright, you would do something to change the prediction, and if I did, the event I told of wouldn't happen because it has been tampered with. That's why. I can only tell you what to expect." She started rebraiding her hair. Ulqyiorra stepped away from Aizen's dais to help Seren.

Aizen rubbed his chin. "Seren, let me see your eyes."

Seren looked up, curious, and of course there they were- violet-silver eyes.

"You all can go- Ulquiorra, stay with me."

Kimi, Grimmjow, Seren, and Kiyoshi all filed out.

Aizen waited until their footsteps receded. Then he turned to Ulquiorra.

"I'm going to take the lock off of her necklace. If she tries to escape, kill her."

Ulquiorra kept his composure, but his heart dropped off the earth.

"You may go now."

Ulquiorra strode out of the room.


	50. Hide and Seek

**Chapter Fifty:**

**Hide and Seek**

Seren entered her/Ulquiorra's room. She sighed with relief.

"And _now_ I am going to relax and _not_ get up again!" She fumed. She threw her clothes over her head, tossed them into a pile, huffed, and set up a bath. The pink bottle of shampoo (she was running out- she needed to go ask Mila Rose for some more. Speaking of Mila, where had they gone? Had they fallen off of the face of the earth?). She would pay a visit to Mila Rose, Sun-sun, and Apache first thing when she woke up later.

The water was hot and steaming by the time Ulquiorra got back. The sweet smell of raspberries floated in from the bathroom on shiny pink bubbles. Seren's not-exactly-tonally-perfect singing flowed forth in slightly off but stylistic notes.

"Because I've only begun to know you…but I know you better than I know myself. This can't be right, but I refuse to fight-"

Ulquiorra smiled to himself, sat down on the couch, and listened the her singing, breathed in the sweet smells, and savored the moment.

Seren, completely unaware that she wasn't totally alone, kept indulging in her singing. It was pure bliss. Her long hair soaked up the perfumed water. She vigorously scrubbed herself everywhere. "La la la," she hummed joyfully.

After a while she came out, still singing, carrying her dirty clothes, needing to find a new pair to change into.

Little did she know, Ulquiorra was back.

Still humming, she walked out of the bathroom, naked, singing.

Ulquiorra's mouth dropped open.

Seren turned to him.

She did a double take and blinked.

"!"

She stopped to breathe. "!" She threw her clothes at Ulquiorra's face, blinding him, and she jumped into the bathroom and shut the door.

Ulquiorra, obviously, hadn't been expecting to see Seren naked either. He mentally reeled back.

Well then.

"Erase that image from your mind!" Seren yelled from behind the bathroom door. "ERASE IT! NOW!"

"I don't think that's possible, unless I cero my head." Ulquiorra replied dryly.

"Well go ahead!" Seren shrieked.

Ulquiorra felt a little hurt at that.

"I will leave the room."

"No! That doesn't help at all!"

"If I leave then you can grab your clothes."

"NO! That doesn't help what has already been done!"

"You're being ridiculous."

"You should have warned me that you were there!"

"Calm down."

"NO! No No No no no no no no no no no!" Seren shrieked, her voice rising octaves. She grabbed her now-empty shampoo bottle and hurled it at Ulquiorra around the door as hard as she could.

He dodged.

"DAMMIT! Get out, now!"

"That is what I said before."

"LEAVE!"

So Ulquiorra went out the door, while he waited for Seren to finish. Just then Grimmjow came slouching along.

"Oi, Ulquiorra!" He called. "Where's Seren?"

"In the room."

"Oh. Well, I'll go say hi."

"Grimmjow-"

Of course, Grimmjow made good use of his normal care for others (none) and opened the door.

"Hey Sere-!"

BAM! This time the shampoo bottle made its mark, right in the middle of Grimmjow's forehead.

He fell over.

Ulquiorra smirked at him.

"Why didn't you tell me she was NAKED, dumbass!" Grimmjow howled from the floor.

"I was going to, but you didn't want to listen to me."

"DAMMIT ULQUIORRA!"

If Ulquiorra hadn't been Ulquiorra, he would have been rolling on the floor laughing uncontrollably. However, because he was, he stayed as emotionless as ever.

Grimmjow stopped tasting the floor and got up. "Well," he said stoically, "the view was worth it."

If Grimmjow had been any slower, he would have been ceroed flat against the wall by Ulquiorra.

"Hey!" He yelled. "What was that for?"

"Seren," the other replied evenly. He raised his hand for Grimmjow.

"Whoa- wait!" The other cried.

One loud scream could be heard.

Later, Seren was dressed and calmed down. "What happened to Grimmjow?" She asked.

"I wonder," Ulquiorra replied.

Seren walked outside. "Wow! There's a giant hole in the wall!" She gasped. "And look! A bit of Grimmjow's hair (it's blue) and… smoke? I smell burning fur."

Seren looked around.

She could have sworn she saw Ulquiorra's mouth twitch into a smile.


	51. Heartless II

**Chapter Fifty One:**

**Heartless II**

Seren woke up. Ulquiorra's green eyes peered down at hers.

"Whoa- when did you-" Seren started.

"You need to come. Now."

Seren flash-stepped unsurely through the flashing halls of Las Noches as Ulquiorra sped ahead of her. The two of them passed many other arrancar. The others only blankly stared at a well-known and well-feared face, followed by a strange woman with glowing violet eyes.

Bip, bip, bip, Seren counted every time they turned a corner. There had been at least ten now. And they were going very fast.

_Don't trip, don't trip, don't trip Seren,_ Rabaeth snickered in her head.

_Shut up, shut up, shut up Rabaeth,_ she replied.

_Maybe you should concentrate on what you're doing instead of arguing with me,_ replied Rabaeth slyly.

Seren looked up and ducked just in time to avoid the door way as she flew down the stairs.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid,_ she thought.

Ulquiorra stopped suddenly at a doorway. Seren shrieked and she dug her heels in the ground as she halted abruptly right behind him.

"Stop," Ulquiorra said dryly.

_Thank you, captain obvious,_ Seren grumped.

Ulquiorra opened the wide door, and sunshine burst into the room. Seren looked around, wide-eyed. It was bright… it was light-! Light didn't exist in Hueco Mundo. With the brightness came a thousand mortal memories, and tears started to wet her eyes. She quickly wiped them off with her sleeve.

"Good morning," Aizen said warmly. He was actually not on his throne- what do you know, he was standing on _his own two feet _on the _floor_! Who would have thought he actually had legs?

"I have to actually say good night, because it's dark outside- what is this light?" Seren asked.

"Oh, a little spell of mine." Aizen smiled. "Today, Seren-chan, I have a special assignment for you."

Well, that didn't seem so bad.

"What is it?"

"There is a man I need you to kill- a man who has been a slight thorn in my side, if you will. His name is Kisuke Urahara."

_Compose your face Seren, compose your face. You don't know him. Aizen must not know that you remember your past life._ Seren's heart plummeted through dimensions. Her stomach fell through the floor. For a moment, she lost feeling in her body.

"K-Kisuke Urahara? Who is that?" Duh. Of course she knew. She knew Kisuke Urahara more ways than she knew herself.

"He is a shinigami- he has blonde hair. You will use sh'chi to travel to his store, where you will wait until he appears, and then you will kill him."

"But won't he attack me?" Please, let Aizen think that the trembling in her voice and limbs was from fear. Fear, yes, that was it.

"He won't attack you."

"Why?" Why? Of course she knew why! Kisuke wouldn't attack her because he'd think that Valencia had finally come back to him-! He would let his guard down for only a moment- and at that moment she would strike! Why, why, Aizen, would you make her kill the only man that she truly loved? For a moment her eyes shifted to her side. No, not the only man she truly loved. There was a stiffness about Ulquiorra. His hands were ice cold. There was something like worry in his eyes.

He was worried about her.

He was worried _for_ her.

"You'll see." Aizen had a sly look about him, almost like he wanted to wink at her.

"S-sure," Seren gasped. She felt as though she had just been shot right between the eyes.

"Good. Ulquiorra and I are coming with you."

Oh _shit!_ She didn't have time to think of an escape plan. She furiously scrolled through all her ideas- summon sh'chi and be gone before anyone could do anything. But that was futile- Aizen would have her still-beating heart in his hands before she could finish deciding what to do. Suddenly faint on the floor and pretend to be too ill to work while she thought of a new plan.

"Seren, I am waiting."

Unthinkingly, she pulled out Sh'chi. "Come closer to me." Aizen stepped closer.

"Ichi." _One._ The earth below the floor shook once.

"Nii." _Two._ The wind outside whistled twice. The wind whipped her eyes, bringing more tears there.

"San." _Three._ The tears in her eyes trembled thrice.

"Shi." _Four._ The room heated up. The cool tears slipped down her burning cheeks.

"Go." _Five._ The air turned colder. Seren could see her breath in a room that was previously warm. The tears seemed to freeze on her face.

"Roku." Seren almost stopped; the clashing storm and lightning in her heart manifested itself.

She paused. "Sh'chi," she whispered softly.

The color fled toward the edges of the circle, slipping out of it. The elements stopped, choking, like her heart. The air was still, slowed, comatose, like her soul.

There was a slight pull as the three of them were transported to Kisuke's shop. "Stay here," she told the two of them as she stole out of the circle. She pulled Sh'chi out of the ground and lifted the sword up, ready, resting, on her shoulder.

Her foot tested the real ground, timidly, unsure. Eventually all of her appeared. Her dark hair wavered behind her, as unsure as she was.

"Seren?"

She whipped around.

Kisuke was there, just as shady and ruffled and messy and beloved as ever.

Seren stared at him, eyes wide, her heart in her throat.

She couldn't speak, she couldn't shatter this silence, this peace, this love. "Kisuke," she managed to choke out, as tears fell down her face freely now.

In a second she was in his arms, smelling him, touching him, crying him. "Kisuke, Kisuke, Kisuke," she kept repeating.

"Seren, Seren, Seren," Kisuke breathed.

The rest of the world lay forgotten in the past.

Kisuke dropped to his knees to hug Seren closer to him, in the way that he used to, shortening the distance between them.

He closed his eyes, peaceful there.

Seren's heart shuddered with renewed life. "Kisuke, I love you." She sobbed. Sh'chi was heavy in her hands, steady and sure, awaiting her command.

She realized that Ulquiorra was watching in the background. She could feel Aizen's urging stare through her back.

She lifted Fuerda as if to strike.

She turned to them, her face frozen in horror, as she put her hands against the bubble that only she could see that held the two of them. She shoved the bubble, sending it back to Las Noches, with all of her might and spirit. Ulquiorra was worlds away before the final tear had fallen off of her cheek.

"I- I need to go," she whispered to Kisuke.

"No!" Kisuke grabbed her robe. "I don't beg, but I'm begging. Valencia, don't go, don't go!"

Seren felt her heart shrivel and die in her breast as she pulled his hands off of her dress and turned away. To her racing mind, the world was slower. She watched as Kisuke's face contorted in an expression of such sorrow that she had to look away.

"Sh'chi," she barely breathed.

She disappeared.

"Well," Aizen sighed and rubbed his head. "That didn't go as I expected." He looked the Ulquiorra, who was shell-shocked and still.

"Ulquiorra, you know what to do," Aizen continued easily.

"Yes, Aizen-sama," Ulquiorra replied. He turned on his heel and disappeared, following Seren's reiatsu, which had suddenly appeared, not far away to the north of Hueco Mundo.

Seren collapsed on to the white sands. Don't let it hurt anymore, don't let it hurt anymore. She clutched at her chest as she sobbed, lungs heaving, spirit shattering.

She gurgled and choked, tears streaming, as pure as true love itself. Her insides contorted. She coughed on the sand, blood coming up from her melting heart.

"Oh… I… I…" she sobbed. "Love… this pain…" _I know it's not right, but I refuse to fight-_

He had snuck up on her.

Ulquiorra glanced down at her. There was a broken look in his eyes.

Seren struggled to her feet. She fell. She sobbed. She stood up yet again.

"Ulquiorra," she whispered.

"Seren," he replied.

Seren motioned to the ground. "Go ahead, kill me. I know what you're supposed to do. I won't fight." She spread her arms out, leaving her open.

"I can't kill you." Ulquiorra replied.

"No, NO, NO NO!" Seren cried, covering her ears. "Don't ruin yourself for me- I'm not worth it! Ulquiorra, I was already broken. Just end it. End my suffering."

There was a shocked look in his eyes.

"I will have a new start, a clean slate- Ulquiorra, that's all that I want!" Seren sobbed. "That's all that I can have. I can't go back with you, Aizen will kill you! And I can't go back to Kisuke, Aizen will kill Kisuke! Damn him! Damn him!" She screamed, tearing at her hair.

Ulquiorra approached her, coming closer.

He wrapped her in a hug. "I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too."

The sword ran through Seren. There was one last shudder-

And then a heavenly smile. Seren smiled as at last she was released. Her spirit shattered and splintered as her soul drifted away on the Hueco Mundo winds, back to earth, back to a new life.


	52. Start Again

**Chapter Fifty-Two:**

**Start Again**

"Well, you know, it was just like she herself said. 'It is too late to save the violet eyes.'" Aizen drawled on coolly. "A pity, really. She would have made such a good tool." He ran his fingers through his hair as he yawned.

Ulquiorra couldn't speak. For a second, he considered ripping Aizen's throat out- then decided against it. He was silent, as usual. He buried what was left of his burning heart underneath a cold mask.

"Yes, Aizen-sama."

Aizen smiled back.

Grimmjow stormed thorugh the halls of Las Noches, howling "Where's Ulquiorra? Where is that _bastard_!" He ran down the hallway, turning the hallway to where he knew Ulquiorra's room was.

He smashed the door off its hinges, and it flew into the opposite wall.

"Ulquiorra!" He roared.

Ulquiorra calmly got up from where he was sitting and turned around to face Grimmjow.

"What do you want?" He spat icily.

"Please tell me _why_ you _killed_ Seren!" He mocked Ulquiorra's calm tone.

"I didn't kill her."

Grimmjow grabbed Ulquiorra by his throat and smashed him into a wall. "Didn't kill her, huh? And you're not Aizen's little pet," he spat.

For the first time, and the last time, Ulquiorra lost it. He slammed his fist into Grimmjow's face, grabbed _Grimmjow_ by his collar, and dug his nails into his throat. "She _begged_ me to kill her." Ulquiorra hissed between his teeth. "She wanted a new life. Do you see now? I killed her because she wanted me to. I _helped_ her."

Grimmjow snarled.

Then, his growl softened.

Because he knew Ulquiorra was right.

Just then Kimi charged into the room. She took one look and gasped.

She ran to Grimmjow and kneeled down next to them. She grabbed Ulquiorra's fingers at Grimmjow's throat. She looked up at him, with- fear- in her eyes.

_Please let go,_ her face said.

Slowly, Ulquiorra's fingers loosened from Grimmjow's neck. Relief flooded Kimi's face. She grasped Grimmjow's back and struggled to help him up.

With one final venomous look shot behind him, Grimmjow and Kimi left the room.

Ulquiorra breathed out.

At last, he realized the terrible truth Seren had.

He realized how lonely the room was now, with no one in it.

A time came later when Aizen sent Ulquiorra on another mission.

It was to retrieve another girl.

Her name was Orihime Inoue.

She was gentle, sweet, and had red hair.

She was his savior.

Perhaps it was insanity. But everything Inoue did reminded him more and more of Seren. Her quirky character, her sweetness, everything. She was the only light that brightened the pitiless abyss of his heart. He wondered if she knew. He wondered if Inoue could see anything beyond the cool façade he presented to the world everyday. He wondered if she could see through him, like Seren.

Indeed, Inoue had Seren's nobility, will to fight- and love.

Inoue, too, had a man who loved her.

A red haired boy came to "save" Inoue. A black-haired boy came with him. Ichigo, the rehead's name was. Ichigo declared his intentions and attacked.

It was a long battle.

Ulquiorra had slipped into Bankai by now, but watched with amazement as the boy morphed into something more, a total hollow.

Thinking him finished, the hollow then turned to stab him. Yet the black-haired one jumped to stop him. The hollow turned on him and was about to cero him.

Ulquiorra attacked from behind and saved him.

The hollow fell and morphed back into the red haired boy. Inoue ran to his side and cried for him.

Amazing! The boy regenerated, got up again, and declared that Ulquiorra must fight him more.

Just as Ulquiorra turned to obey, he started turning to ashes. With a simple sigh, he realized what was happening.

He was dying.

He told the red haired boy to kill him as Seren had begged him to kill her.

The boy refused.

He at last turned to Inoue. "Are you afraid of me?" He asked.

"I'm not afraid," she replied, with tears in her eyes.

_Beware of the red hair, for it will be both your savior and your doom._

_My savior and my doom._

And at long last, Ulquiorra finally realized what a heart was.

And with that, Ulquiorra vanished into ash that spread along Hueco Mundo.


	53. Eulogy

**Chapter Fifty-Three**

**Eulogy**

…_.Several years later…._

"Mommy! Mommy!" The girl whined impatiently. "C'mon, c'mon, let's goooo!" She tugged on her mother's apron.

"Relax, honey," her mother replied. "Daddy's still getting the pie."

The Greenford's were leaving to meet their new next door neighbors. They had just moved in: a man and his wife, and his young son.

"Tell dad to hurry up," the girl grumped, crossing her arms. "I want to meet hiiiiimmmm!" Her blonde hair hung in loose strands down her back.

"Yes. He's supposed to be your age. What was his name again, dear?" The woman called to her husband.

"AH!" There was a shout and a clattering as the sounds of falling silverware echoed through the house.

"Oh dear," the woman sighed and moved towards the kitchen. "Stay there, Christine."

Christine huffed crossly.

At long last the three of them got out of the house to greet the new neighbors. Mrs. Greenford, always the picture of perfect hospitality, carried with her a fresh, homemade cherry pie. Mr. Greenford followed behind, sighing wearily. A particularly large fork had managed to land square on his foot. And little Miss Christine followed behind him.

They knocked on the front door of the newly occupied house cheerfully. A small, thin woman, followed by her husband, opened the door.

"Hello!" She said cheerfully. "I'm Mrs. Murray. But you can call me Greta." She shook hands with the adults, as Christine slipped impatiently inside.

She looked around, in the rooms, wandering the hallways.

Adult introductions were so boring!

"What are you doing?" A small, green-eyed and solemn looking boy asked. He had messy black hair.

"Oh!" Christine turned around. "Hi! I'm Christine. We're your new neighbors." She smiled.

"I'm John," the boy replied. His large eyes warmed up a bit.

"You're awfully short!" Christine said gleefully in reply. That was just like her too. Skipping around from subject to subject. "I'm _much_ taller than you!" She gloated.

"Na na," the boy replied. "Are you always random like that?"

Christine snorted. "Yes. And we're going to be best friends."

And so the boy and the girl became best friends. They chased each other around the yard, over the fence, through the trees. They played hide and seek and tag. When they got older, after high school, the boy asked the girl to marry him.

He could have sworn her brown eyes flashed violet when she said yes.


End file.
